Little Moments like These
by kitty132383
Summary: A collection of one-shots and drabbles. 53. In which Harry delivers good news, and Luna is delighted.
1. Pets

**A/N: This was done for the Dabble in a Drabbles competition under the prompt 'Pets'. I'll probably make this into a little collection of drabbles and one-shots.**

* * *

Albus stared.

The huge, golden eyes of the snowy white owl stared back at him.

Behind him, the impatient foot tapping increased as the short temper of Rose Weasley came close to igniting.

"Al! How long does it take to choose a pet?" She asked in exasperation. They had been at the Eeylops Owl Emporium & Magical Menagerie for over an hour already and Albus had yet to choose a pet. _'I have to find the right one.' _He had claimed.

The beautiful, black half-kneazle in her arms seemed to agree with Rose, if the restless shifting was any indication.

_'Which one sould I get?' _Albus wondered. Having an owl would be really useful, as opposed to something like a cat, or a rat; but James had already bought an owl and Lily wouldn't stop talking about how she wanted one too. There was also no way in hell that James would let him borrow his owl if he didn't get one, and wanted to send a letter home. _I guess I'll just buy an owl then, _he decided.

Just as Albus finally reached out to take the handle of the cage the owl sat in, something caught his eye. It was a very lumpy and ugly something that sat in the darkest corners of the store; shoved where no one would see it. In a split second, his mind was made.

"I'll take that one." He said, pointing in the direction of the pet he wanted.

The clerk that was helping them stared in surprise. "Are you sure you want that one, Mr. Potter?"

Albus nodded. "I want that one." He said firmly.

* * *

As he and Rose walked out of the store and towards their meeting place, she stared at the cage he was holding. "Why did you buy a toad Al?"

"His _name _is Mr. Lemon Drops, Rosie." Albus replied back defensively.

Rose glanced back at the toad, which blinked at her slowly. She could remember how it was shoved in a corner, forever fated to be overshadowed by the better pets. Always there, but never acknowledged.

She shook her head at Albus. "Maybe it is the right pet for you." She said, smiling softly. "But James will have a field day when he sees it."

Albus groaned, and the sound was lost under Rose's laughter as she ran ahead of him.

* * *

**Please review!**


	2. Forgiveness

**A/N: Wow.. that's a lot of line breaks.. Anyways, this was done for the Audition of the Fanfic's Got Talent Comp II. **

She silently watched as _he _walked by with girls flanking his side and quickly turned the other way, ignoring the burning sensation in her chest. She hadn't talked to him in a while… not since that incident. She suspected that was when she realized that she had fallen in love with him.

* * *

He watched as the only girl he had ever loved saw him and purposefully turned and walked the other way. It was their last year in Hogwarts… he hadn't spoken to her in four years. And after graduation he probably wasn't going to see her again. The world was pretty big, after all. _Why _did he have to say those hurtful words to her?

* * *

She quickened her steps as the last words they had spoken echoed in her mind. _'Why would anyone like an ugly know-it-all like you?' _At that time, she had acted indifferent, but the words had wounded her far more than being stabbed in the heart would. She had glared at him and as the weeks passed by with no apology, they slowly drifted farther apart.

* * *

He never meant to say those words to her. They had been asking about his newest girlfriend, saying that maybe he shouldn't date someone like her, and the mean words slipped out before he knew it. He had seen the hurt look in her eyes, before she glared at him and turned away. Maybe it was better this way, he thought. But she was strong and she would find someone better than him, who had continually dated and dumped various girls because he was so insecure about himself.

* * *

She didn't even tell Albus, but she had cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

The guilt was knawing at him as she faded from view. _No! Wait!_

* * *

She heard quick footsteps before strong arms enveloped her petite frame.

* * *

"I'm sorry." She heard him murmur. "I'm so so sorry."

Rose could feel her throat close up as warmth slowly slid down her face. "I forgive you, Scorpius."


	3. Denial

**A/N: This was done for the Quotes Challenge. It isn't really a Draco/Luna fic, but I suppose you can think of it that way. **

* * *

Draco silently crept down an unused hallway in Hogwarts in the middle of the night. Slipping into an abandoned classroom, he sat on one of the dusty desks and took a deep breath. Ever since the beginning of seventh year, he always came here to think. It was quiet; there was no one here to disturb him, and he couldn't hear the tortured screams of various students here. Draco could almost imagine that it was another normal year at Hogwarts.

He didn't know when everything had changed. Last year, probably. The image of Dumbledore falling off the Astronomy Tower was forever seared in his mind. That look on his face… was not one of betrayal, but of peace. Draco didn't get how someone could look so calm when someone he trusted did him in. He always was a senile old man.

But he should be happy that the Dark Lord was reigning. He was the son of a Death Eater; he _was _a Death Eater himself. This was what he wanted, dreamed of even, since he was little. His world was perfect right now.

Draco stiffened cautiously as he heard the sound of footsteps. He let his face slide into an emotionless mask and fingered his wand as the door slowly pushed open. Who would come here at this time of night? A small figure walked calmly through the door, barely sparing him a glance, and sat down on a chair a little bit away from him. Blinking, he realized that he recognized that white-blonde hair, and those vacant grey eyes. It was none other than the one and only Loony Lovegood.

"What do you want?" He asked harshly.

She didn't say anything, but glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Draco was taken aback. Her gaze was sharp and perceptive, and it unnerved him to be in sight of that look. She seemed to judge him silently; for what, he wasn't sure. So he held his breath and looked into her eyes for what seemed like and eternity. And then, finally, she turned away from him. Draco let loose the breath he was holding. Belatedly, he realized he felt a little shaky. They fell into a comfortable silence again.

Luna stood up padded to the door.

"'Admit you own private Mt. Everest exists. That is half the battle.'" She quoted. "It's an old Muggle saying. You should think about it."

"Why would I care about what Mudblood's say?" He sneered at her, but she was already gone.

For a while, he just sat there in disbelief. Then he couldn't help but ponder what she just said. Mt. Everest… wasn't that a really tall mountain the Mudblood's named? Contrary to popular belief, Draco wasn't stupid. The mountain must be symbolic to something, he decided. An obstacle, a hard path, a tough opponent, or maybe even a problem of some kind? So, admitting that there was a problem or a tough opponent was half the battle?

But why would she say that to him?

Thinking about it a bit more, he realized that he was afraid. Completely, utterly, and deathly afraid. His fingers started trembling slightly and he clenched them into a fist. He was scared. He was scared of the Dark Lord, and the Carrows, and the war that he knew was coming on the horizon. Deep down inside, although he would die before saying it out loud, he hoped that Potter somehow managed to kill him. Then his family would be free and he wouldn't have to live his life with a mask on. And with that awareness, he realized that he felt lighter; like a load had been lifted off his back. _'That's half the battle huh?' _he thought.

'_Maybe Lovegood isn't so loony after all.' _


	4. Train Ride

**A/N: This was done for the Train Ride Challenge. **

* * *

Scorpius was a little bit nervous. Alright, so he didn't _look _nervous, but he was sweating bullets on the inside. People were whispering and staring at him whenever he passed by them, searching for an empty compartment. Doors were slammed in his face with an ugly whisper of _'Death Eater'_. It hurt, knowing he wouldn't be accepted at Hogwarts because of his family's reputation. His father had sat him down the day he got his letter, telling him about what he and his grandfather had done in the past, and he had also apologized for all the pain he would cause him. He realized that _that _was the reason they rarely went out in public. That was the reason everyone stared and pointed when they did go out.

"People won't forgive us that easily." He had said. "Especially since you look like me. But you must bear through it. Stick with your friends; they're the ones that matter the most."

'_What friends?' _Scorpius thought bitterly. _'No one would want to be friends with the son of a Death Eater.'_

With a small amount of relief, he found an empty compartment and quickly occupied it. Grabbing his book, Hogwarts: A History, he settled down to read while his small barn owl, Regalis, napped in his cage beside him. Slowly, the minutes passed by as various people came around, glanced in his compartment, then left. Soon, no one was bothering him. It seemed that they were warning people off from coming here. It didn't matter to him though, he vainly convinced himself; he didn't want to be friends with them in the first place either.

Suddenly, he could hear the sound of footsteps and pasted a mask of indifference on his face. Who was it this time, he wondered. He could hear two voices growing louder as they approached his compartment and they appeared to be arguing slightly.

"Can't you just pick a compartment already? I'd like to sit down, thank you very much." It was a girl's voice, sounding faintly annoyed.

"All the other ones were full and James wouldn't let us sit in his. Or would you rather we randomly pick one and have strangers gawking at us the whole train ride?" It was a boy's voice this time that spoke.

A pause. And then,

"Look, let's sit in that one!"

The door to his compartment opened and he found himself face to face with none other than the son of the famous Harry Potter. Scorpius blinked. The boy blinked back at him.

"What's the hold up, Al?" The girl's voice asked from behind him.

Scorpius tensed, waiting for the hostility to arrive. A Malfoy and a Potter? They were fated to be enemies. After all, their fathers had been constantly insulted and competing against each other from the first day they met. But the cruel words never came. Instead, he shifted slightly on his feet and asked, "Can we sit here?" in a quiet, meek voice that he would have never expected from a Potter.

Scorpius merely looked away. And then froze.

'_Wait, no! I didn't mean to do that!' _He frantically thought. They were going to leave now for sure. He suddenly realized that he didn't want to be alone, and that he wanted them to stay. He turned back to them, to ask them to stay.

But again, the boy surprised Scorpius. He merely offered him a small smile and said, "Thanks." before walking into the compartment. The girl behind him had bushy red hair and piercing blue eyes. She came in after him and sat down. Tension was still running pretty high in the air though.

"My name is Rose Weasley." She introduced, holding out a hand towards him. "And this is Albus."

"But you can call me Al." Albus offered.

Scorpius smiled slightly. The first real smile of the day.

"My name is Scorpius. It's nice to meet you."

And he reached over to grasp her hand. The tension now broken, the three new friends spent the entire train ride laughing and sharing candy. They knew, that no matter what House they got sorted into, they would always remember this moment, because it was this moment that their friendship was sealed forever.


	5. Revenge

**A/N: This turned out better than I expected! This was done for the Funny Little lines Competition and the Winners Galore Competition. Enjoy!**

* * *

Pansy headed towards her room in the Slytherin Dorms. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to collapsing in her bed and letting sleep claim her. Yawning, she padded towards the slowly approaching door, and then stopped all of a sudden. It was a faint noise, coming from the bathroom, so she leaned her ear closer to make out the sound. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was. There was someone crying in the room.

It sounded like they were trying the stifle the cries, but the occasional soft whimper escaped and Pansy couldn't help but wince in sympathy when she heard it. It wasn't every day that a Slytherin broke down crying after all. No matter what all the other houses said, they were a pretty tough bunch.

She wondered if she should go inside. The person inside would definitely be embarrassed to be caught doing something so wimpy. But if they didn't want to be caught crying, Pansy rationalized, they shouldn't have come to a place that was shared between the girls of the dorm. With that thought in mind, she steeled her nerves and pushed the door open.

The crying came to a stop at the noise and Pansy glanced around the room. At first, she missed the figure huddled near the sink because she had shrunken in on herself in her depression. A second sweeping glance identified the person. It was Astoria Greengrass. The normally unflappable Ice Queen was sitting on the bathroom floor, crying her eyes out.

"Pansy." She acknowledged weakly. "What do you want?"

Their eyes met, and immediately Pansy understood what was going on in the way that all girls would know. It was a boy.

Now, normally Pansy wasn't the comforting sort, or a scared, wimpy sort of girl, but Astoria's eyes were red rimmed and her eyes were begging for help. So, with an internal cringe, she went to sit by the girl and patted her back.

"Who was it?" She asked.

Astoria sniffled once and rubbed her eyes. "Theodore Nott." She said, looking miserable. "He cheated on me with Tracey Davis. Tracey of all people! What makes her so much better than me, huh?"

Pansy nodded while the girl ranted out all her feelings, and then burst out crying again.

"Tell you what," Pansy said suddenly, "I have the perfect cure for heartbreak."

Astoria blinked at her curiously.

Pansy merely smirked.

"Meet me at the third floor, at the top of the staircase tomorrow morning after breakfast."

Astoria knew for a fact that was where Theodore would be heading for the first class of the day, and wondered what Pansy was planning. Nothing good if the glimmer in her eyes was any indication.

* * *

The next day, Astoria clutched at her books and waited for her house mate. Pansy arrived not a moment later and grinned slightly at her.

And so they waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Finally, Theodore could be seen coming up the stairs. Pansy nodded at Astoria and gestured for her to follow her. The boy and soon-to-be victim of Pansy hadn't seen them yet; he was talking to Blaise Zabini and had his head turned away from them. Casually, Pansy walked slowly with Astoria, timing it perfectly so that the two groups reached the top of the stairs at the same time. And then, she casually not-so-gently bumped into Theodore… and sent him tumbling down the stairs.

He flipped backwards, tangling with his robes, as he hit the banister and bounced down the rest of the stairs. By the time he reached a full stop, he had become unconscious and most of the nearby Gryffindor's were openly pointing and laughing at him.

Astoria gaped at Pansy in amazement. Pansy merely smiled back and imparted a piece of wisdom that would stay with Astoria for the rest of her life.

"Boy's are like slinkies. Useless, but fun to watch fall down the stairs."

The two girls laughed and went on their way, arm in arm. Needless to say, Theodore avoided them like the plague from then on.


	6. 12 Reasons to Sleep in

**A/N: Written for the Suffering from Writer's block challenge. Also, I know that Ron is OOC, but it's supposed to be that way. This is just a silly, fun sort of fic; probably bordering on crack.**

* * *

12 Reasons to Sleep in

By: Ron Weasley

1. In the summer, Hermione always comes to wake me up if I sleep in long enough. –fanboy squeal- Wait no, pretend you didn't hear that!

2. I just know Great Aunt Muriel's going to kick the bucket soon (if Fred and George don't do her in first). Might as well (pretend to) get some pre-death mourning in.

3. If I stay in bed long enough, maybe Mum will think I'm deathly ill and stop nagging at me to fold my underwear.

4. If I want to sleep in, I'm _going_ to sleep in dammit!

5. I have a very important day of lazing around ahead of me. I need my rest for that!

6. My alarm clock broke. (After I scrambled for my wand and yelled out, _'Expulso!'_. The alarm clock then exploded, but, _pfft_, details.)

7. Harry snores (I mean it, really loudly. And when he doesn't, he's having nightmares that wakes me up with the trashing around and yelling) so I rarely get a good night's sleep.

8. No one's going to miss me anyways. Except maybe Snape. Because he loves picking on me almost as much as he loves picking on Harry.

9. I need my beauty sleep too! I can't go out there with, _heaven forbid_, eye bags under my eyes!

10. I like sleeping in when it's snowing. And when it's sunny. Oh, and also when it's raining, hailing, boiling, and cloudy.

11. It's my birthday. Nothing short of Voldemort wearing a bright pink tutu being chased by a male blast-ended skrewt is going to force me out of bed! Although if Hermione decided to…

12. Maybe if I stay in bed long enough, I'll fall back asleep and keep dreaming about being married to Hermione and having ten kids named Joyful, Happiness, Glee, Gladness, Delight, Content, Ecstatic, Blessed, Pleasant, and Stupid.

* * *

**So, how was my attempt at humour?**


	7. Letter to my 10 year old self

**A/N: Just letting everyone know, I will consider requests :)**

* * *

Hermione finished the letter with a small smile on her face and placed in gently on her office desk. Glancing at her watch, her eyes widened as she quickly grabbed her briefcase and rushed from the room. In her haste, she forgot to put away the tiny time turner she had been inspecting. Crookshanks lifted his head up from the nap he had been taking and lazily stood up to follow his mistress out of the room. Jumping onto the table, he didn't notice when his long tail brushed against the time turner; the object shattering as it crashed onto the table.

The sands of time spilled onto the letter. Slowly, it began to fade away until there was no sign that it had ever been there.

* * *

A 10- year old Hermione Granger walked stiffly into her room and shut the door firmly. For a moment, she just stood there; making sure that her worried parents hadn't followed her up here… and then promptly burst into tears.

It was so unfair, she thought as tears started leaking from her eyes. She wanted to make friends too! But whenever she tried, they would yell at her for being a know-it-all and a nerd, and then forcefully shove her away. So she, in her depression, would try and read more books in the hopes that someday she would be accepted by them.

Wistfully, she let her mind wander into daydreams where she was laughing and talking with her friends and everyone was nice and friendly. So caught up in her thoughts was she that she didn't notice the envelope sitting on the floor of her bedroom until she slipped on it, landing painfully on her bottom.

At first, her bottom lip trembled slightly. After such a hard day of being bullied, she slipped and fell? But then she became curious about the paper that was sitting innocently next to her. She was a natural neat-freak and there was no way that she would just leave a slip of paper on the ground. Picking it up, Hermione realized that she had never seen it before in her life. And there was also the fact that it was written on a thicker and rougher paper than what she used in school. It was parchment, she thought. She had read about it in a book last year but had never seen one other than in pictures.

Slowly, she flipped the envelope over and saw the words _To Hermione _printed neatly on the back. Her curiosity sky-rocketed. Who would write to her? And how did they get it into her room?

The girl hurriedly opened it up and unfolded the paper inside.

'_Dear My ten-year old self,_

_I know this might sound a bit silly, but Ron got this idea in my head and I just couldn't stop thinking about it. So, I decided to write to my ten-year old self. Anyways, as you probably know by now, this is Hermione speaking. _

_I think around this time you were being bullied for being a brainiac. You're feeling hurt and angry and the loneliness is a constant ache in your heart. All I can say is, don't worry about it. Those people don't matter. Later on, you'll find friends who are so dear to you, that you would do anything for them. There's Harry, who's a natural leader and takes everything on his shoulders. Sometimes I think he likes playing the hero a bit, but hey, everyone has their flaws. And then there's Ron, who's dense and has no tact; but he's also brave and loyal too. You'll go through hardships, pain, loss, and tears for them; but you'll get through it because you are a strong girl and well, I've been through it myself and I'm still here aren't I?_

_I'm about to get married, did you know? To Ron, the one I mentioned above. He's not perfect, and far from a gentleman, but I honestly love him so much that it hurts to think of life without him. _

_Well, I think that's enough rambling for now. Stay strong and keep believing in yourself. Don't you dare let anyone make you think that you're lower than you are. _

_From, Hermione'_

Hermione sniffled as once again, she started crying. She was a logical person, so she shouldn't believe the letter really came from the future. There was no such thing as sending something back in time. But still, she couldn't help but feel her confidence rise up again. As her parent's called her down for dinner, she stood up suddenly and ran out of the room; the letter in her hand fluttering down under her bed and resting there.

It was all but forgotten as she went to school again the next day, and the bullying starting anew.

"Ron!" Hermione called. "Help me lift the bed!"

She was in her old room, moving her things to their new house. Most of her belongings had already been migrated out of the room and all that was left was the bed.

"Have you gone mad? Are you a witch or not?" Ron yelled back up from downstairs.

Hermione smiled slightly at the words that Ron had shouted to her during their first year. Going through the necessary wand movements, she said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The bed lifted into the air and Hermione spotted something lying on the ground. Placing the bed down again, she bent down and picked up the envelope. It was yellowed and dusty with age, but the words _To Hermione _were printed there as clear as day.


	8. Key

Luna stared at the box before her. It was a simple box, painted black with a gold trim.

Her gaze turned to the equally black key in her hands before she placed it into the key hole, and turned it.

The box was a treasure of hers and there wasn't a moment when she wasn't thinking of it. After all, her mother has given it to her the birthday before she died. At that time, Luna had turned a questioning gaze at the box, because it hadn't come with a key or anything so what was she supposed to do with it? Luna's mother merely smiled and said that someday, a very special person would come with the key and then she would find out what was in the box. And finally, the answer lay in her hands.

Luna tried to remember who gave her the key. And she recalled it was someone she had met recently; a nice boy named Rolf Scamander. He had nervously shoved the key at her and then ran away; for what, she didn't know.

Opening the box, she discovered it was empty.

And then she remembered her mother, who was a believer of fate and love, and Luna stood up calmly and drifted in the direction that Rolf had taken off to. She eventually found him next to a river, staring at his own reflection. He jerked up in surprise when she found him.

Seeing the now open box in her hand, he looked slightly relieved. "So, it fit then? I mean, I picked up the key when I was younger so when I saw that you had a box that looked similar, I thought that you might want it."

Luna merely nodded, and sat down. Rolf joined her after a moment's hesitation.

And when he nervously took her hand, she didn't move away.


	9. The Same Coin

For a long time after that winter, that terrible, fright-filled winter that was supposed to be their seventh year, she could still remember the feeling of hurt and shock when Ron had walked out of the tent. She barely had to think to recall the hope that he would walk back to them a while later, giving them an embarrassed apology, while simultaneously fearing that he would never come back.

When Hermione thinks back, she cannot help but hate Ron slightly for his selfishness, and how much he hurt them emotionally.

But then she thinks of his selflessness, his loyalty, and his blunt honesty and she feels herself falling in love all over again. She thinks of his bravery, and his normally concealed intelligence (which only appears when playing wizard chess) and her heart thumps painfully in her chest. She thinks of the little quirks that make him Ron, like how he always smiles crookedly and the way he walks, and she knows that she'll always forgive him for anything.

Because he's Ron and she knows that won't be able to live without him.

* * *

For a long time after that winter, that horrible, life endangering winter, he can still remember the guilt knawing at him as he stormed out of the tent. He barely had to think to recall the wandering, and how his every waking moment was spent wondering if she was okay.

When Ron thinks back, he cannot help but resent Hermione slightly for not trying harder to bring him back.

And then he thinks of her intelligence, her loyalty, and her unwavering beliefs and he can't help but tumble head over heels. He thinks of the way she cares for others and her adorable blush and he automatically starts grinning like a maniac. He think of the small things that make her Hermione, like the way she always rushes to the library and the way her eyes light up when she's figured something out and he knows he can never begrudge her for anything.

Because she's Hermione and he knows that he won't ever love anyone like her again.

In the end, the are only two sides of the same coin.


	10. Confrontation

**A/N: My first time writing a Snape fic. This was written for the Ultimate Snape competition.**

* * *

Severus narrowed his eyes at the four boys in front of him. It was the day after he had been humiliated once again by another one of their particularly cruel pranks and he wondered what they were up to now. And confronting him directly in the Great Hall? He knew that they wouldn't dare do anything in front of the entire staff.

The ring leader, James, looked vaguely uncomfortable while Sirus's face was set in a scowl.

"What do you want Potter?" Severus spat in irritation.

"We, er, wanted to… _apologize _for yesterday." James said, looking pained at the very words he was speaking.

Severus stared. Then he glanced over at the Gryffindor table, where Lily was watching him intently. She must have forced them to do this, he realized. This was the perfect chance, he thought with an internal smirk.

"And what if I don't accept your apology?" He asked.

James glared at him for a moment, and then forced his mouth to smile. Or at least, it was supposed to be a smile but Severus thought that it looked somewhat like he was under the Cruatious Curse. How he managed to charm girls like that was a mystery.

James chuckled. "One day, we are going to look back on this and laugh."

"No, one day, _you _are going to look back on this and laugh because I would've obliviated this memory from my mind already. Good day." Severus said mildly, and left the Great Hall.


	11. Red Building Bricks

**A/N: Written for the Childhood Memories Challenge with the character Rose Weasley, age 6, and the prompt 'red building bricks'.**

* * *

I, Rose Weasley, aged 6, was about to go to Diagon Alley for the first time in my life. Rushing around the house, I frantically grabbed my boots, my small purse, and anything and everything I thought I needed. Excitement was just about bubbling out of me and a permanent grin seemed to stretch across my face. My younger brother, Hugo, was blinking at me sleepily from her mother's arms. He was too young after all; he didn't understand the importance of this day. It signified that my parents thought I was mature and responsible enough to handle the crowds and bustle of Diagon Alley. And I was going to show them that they made the right decision.

"Are you ready yet, Honey?" Mom called from the other room, amusement coloring her tone.

"Just a second!" I called from the kitchen, grabbing a handful of snacks and stuffing them into my bag. It never hurt to be prepared after all. I mean what if I got lost (which I definitely wouldn't) and started getting hungry? Running into the room, I accidently barreled straight into my father, who merely smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Alright, let's apparate to Gringotts and-" He started to say.

"Ron!" Mum interrupted him, looking horrified.

"What?"

"We can't just apparate there! This is their first time going to Diagon Alley!" She argued. "Let's go to the Leaky cauldron first. We can use the brick wall to get in." I didn't know what they were talking about, but my mum was usually right so I didn't complain.

Dad started mumbling under his breath, but a short glare from Mum stopped his protests. I giggled at them. This always happened. With a sharp crack, Mum and Hugo disappeared. Dad held out his hand to me, and I placed mine in his. His hand was huge, I realized; it completely dwarfed mine. And then, before I knew it, I had my first taste of side-along apparition.

It was terrible. It felt like I was being squeezed through an extremely tight tube and I couldn't breathe! But, the feeling disappeared as soon as it came. As I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, I realized I could hear Hugo crying somewhere nearby. As I staggered to my feet, I observed my surroundings carefully.

We were in some sort of back alleyway that was overgrown with weeds. In front of us was a red brick wall. There was nothing out of the ordinary here.

"Mum?" I asked in confusion. "What are we doing here?"

But she grinned at me, and I gave her an even more bewildered look. "You'll see." She said mysteriously, nodding in the direction of Dad. He was standing by the brick wall, and… counting the bricks?

Finally, he stepped back, and smiled at me. As I watched the bricks intently, I could feel my eyes rowing wider, and wider. My mouth spread into an amazed smile. Of course I had already seen magic before, but this… _this _was truly magical.

I let out a happy squeal of excitement. Grabbing my parent's wrists, I dragged them from shop to shop. Everywhere around us, people stared and whispered and pointed, but I paid them no mind. There was nothing her today that could ever ruin my good mood.

As the sun was setting and it was time to go home, I walked to one last destination. My steps were lagging with exhaustion, but I had a tired grin on my face. Slowly, I came to a stop in front of the red brick wall that we had entered from. It looked plain and ordinary once again.

It may sound a bit silly, but I felt I had learned something from the wall. I had thought that there was nothing there, when in reality, this was the gate to something far beyond and above my expectations. It seemed normal, but it held so many precious things inside.

It was then that I vowed to myself that I wouldn't judge someone by their appearance. Because, I thought, if I hadn't come here with my parents, I would've walked away from something special.

* * *

Rose Weasley stood in front on the plain red brick wall in the back alley of the Leaky Cauldron. She touched it gently with a single finger and smiled. Grabbing her boyfriend's hand, they walked back into the bar together. Scorpius raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"You know, if it weren't for that brick wall, we wouldn't be together now."


	12. Relationship

Tonks felt excitement bubbling up inside her as a beaming grin was set on her face. Today was the day she was going to married! Her hair was her usual bubblegum pink color (Remus had commented that he liked her better like that) and her brown eyes positively glowed with happiness. The only difference was in her appearance was the full length, white wedding dress she was wearing. As she sat in front of the mirror, she contemplated her relationship with Remus and how long it had taken them to get to this stage.

She could remember way back when she was little. Sirius, her favorite cousin, would often come visit them with his three friends in tow. Sirius and James would often shout a quick greeting to her and immediately run off to go discuss pranks or whatever it was that they did, and Peter would hesitantly stand around before slowly ambling after them. Remus, she recalled with a smile, would come sit next to her on the carpet and ask her how she was doing and would play with her for a bit before going to stop his friends from getting into trouble. Soon, she began to eagerly look forward to their visits, and would tackle hug Remus as soon as he stepped through the doorway.

They graduated from Hogwarts as she was starting it. The visits came to a complete stop, although she heard from her mother that they were all happy and content. And then, _that _happened. Tonks didn't know what it was until she was older, but all discussion of the four friends was banned. Every time she asked about Sirius, Andromeda's lips would tighten and she would be quickly ushered from the room. Tonks quickly learned to not bring up them in any conversation.

As time passed by, she also graduated from school and began her career as an Auror. She didn't tell anyone, but it was so she could travel to Azkaban and ask Sirius for the truth about what happened that night. But then Sirius escaped and she was inducted into the order, and she realized that she wanted to continue being an Auror because she wanted to help people. Tonks remembered the shock and happiness she was feeling as she glimpsed Remus again for the first time in _years_. He had smiled at her (That lovely gentle smile he always gave her as a child) and commented about how she had grown up.

It was about then she realized that _she couldn't_ _live her life without him._

At first, she kept her emotions under check. They were in a war, she told herself, and they had other things they had to prioritize. But she couldn't help herself. Every time she tripped, he would help her up with a chuckle, and her heart start beating painfully fast. And he would sometimes call her Nymphadora and suddenly, she didn't hate her name as much anymore.

But then she had confessed her feelings to him. His face had suddenly gone stiff, and he told her that he couldn't reciprocate those feelings. Her heart felt like it stopped that day. From then on, he avoided her slightly and she could tell that Sirius was suspicious. So she told him of everything that had happened between her and Remus. Sirius had just listened intently throughout her miserable explanation (he had matured a lot ever since Azkaban) and gave her a short pat on the head at the end. _Am I too ugly? _She had wondered, feeling insecure about herself. _Not smart or graceful enough? _

It was during this time of self-doubting that she eventually came to accept herself as she was. She was beautiful in her own way, and she'd be damned if she let anyone tell her otherwise! And with this thought, she comprehended that Remus thought of himself as lower than the others, just like she had for a while. Except for him, it had been going on for a lot longer than it did for her. But in her opinion, Remus was everything. He was a gentleman, caring, beautiful, and all around perfect. She didn't know who had told him otherwise, but when she found out… well, they would be getting a very good beating from her. She thought Remus would probably laugh if he heard that.

And once again, another event shook the very foundations of her world. Hogwarts, the safest place on Earth, had been attacked and Dumbledore was dead. _Dead. _Forever gone from the world. But then Remus confessed, he was too old and poor, and she was so frustrated that she grabbed his robes and she was nearly in tears.

Things had been a bit awkward after that. When a chance came for them to be along together she took it eagerly. They had talked about it, and he admitted that he _did _like her but,

She didn't hear the last part because she was so happy that she cradled his face and kissed him right there and then.

And now, here she was, about to get married to him. Their relationship had a lot of bumps, she conceded, and probably would have even more on the road, but the moment was perfect and she would cherish it in her heart forever.

"_We come here today to join these two forever in marriage. Remus Lupin, do you take this woman as your bride?"_

_"I do."_

_"Nymphadora Tonks, do you take this man as your husband?"_

_"Yes! I do." _


	13. After the War

**A/N: Done for the After the War competition with the character Gregory Goyle.**

* * *

Gregory Goyle sat down on his bed in his new, two-bed roomed house. It was a far cry from the large, roomy, comfortable house that he had been living in since his birth. Their new home was small, had creaky floorboards, and a thin roof. Sometimes, it would even start leaking water if it rained hard enough. But Gregory wasn't thinking about the house. No, he was thinking about the war and Azkaban, and his deceased friend Vincent Crabbe.

It was about a week after the Battle of Hogwarts. Voldemort had fallen, to _Potter _of all people, and all the Death Eaters were being rounded up and escorted to Azkaban. His father included. He had watched as his father had spat and curse as the Aurors forcefully opened the door and tried to take him by surprise and immobilize him. They had been eating dinner, and all Gregory could think at that time was that he was glad he hadn't been made a Death Eater yet. (He wondered why Draco didn't get sent there too.)

As Gregory stared blankly down at his loosely clasped hands, he felt anger and regret surge up through him. _Why _did they have to run after Potter? So they could have the glory of presenting him to Voldemort? So they could finally be something other than lackeys? What did they get from all that?

Nothing.

Gregory could still recall the surprise on Potters face as they intercepted him from whatever it was that he was doing. How they started shooting curses and everything was so _confusing _and then he saw the fire (_that terribleterrible monster was going to kill him and he was so scaredscaredscared_) that was consuming the whole room, and nothing could escape him. It was then he wondered what he was doing with his life. He remembered the feeling of hopelessness and the vague shouting of Draco as he told him to keep moving and not to stop as they climbed a mountain of junk.

And then, suddenly, he was airborne. It was Granger that clutched his shirt tightly and he turned to see that Potter had grabbed Draco. Suddenly, he heard a tortured cry and he realized that Vincent was in the flames and _ohmygod it's eating him_. That memory was forever seared in his brain. The pained cry of his friend as his lower body was being charred and blackened and how his eyes rolled back into his head as the light in them disappeared.

He was gone. Forever. Never to be seen again.

Vincent had no more future, no more dreams or hope or goals.

Gregory jerked to his feet and sprinted to the bathroom as he heaved his breakfast up. And as he lay there, panting and getting his bearings, he realized that _he _was still alive. Sure, his life wasn't that great right now, but he was _alive. _And he would make the most of that.

Gregory stood shakily, now determined. He would apologize to Potter and Granger and Weasley when he saw them.

He was finally going to get his life back on track.


	14. Alone

**A/N: This was done for the Love gone Wrong Challenge with the pairing Dominique/Scorpius and the prompt 'alone'.**

* * *

Dominique had a beaming smile on her face, as she often did for the past year. She was standing in front of the full length mirror, while her bridesmaids bustled around her, straightening her hair, doing her makeup, or giving her congratulations. On her finger, the beautiful diamond ring sparkled in the light. She was twenty years old and about to get married to the love of her life, Scorpius.

They had met several years ago at the Weasley Christmas party. Of course, she had heard of him from Albus and Rose, his two best friends, but she had only seen glimpses of him at Hogwarts before. She had been sitting next to him at that time, and he had been so charming and handsome that even though she was a few years older than him, she had been blushing like a schoolgirl the whole night. And then Scorpius asked her to dance. From then on, their relationship had only grown until that night, when he down on his knees and asked for her hand in marriage. She had cried in happiness at that time, she remembered. And now, here she was.

Her family and friends surrounded her as they gushed about how _romantic _everything was. Rose was a little bit more subdued than the others, but Dominique couldn't blame her. After all, her soon-to-be husband and Rose had dated for a couple of years, and she suspected that even now she was still in love with him. To her side, Victoire was describing her own wedding day and how it was the best moment of her life. As she recounted that day and the honeymoon afterwards, Dominique felt happiness and excitement blossom inside her. She couldn't help but shiver in anticipation.

And then, before she knew it, she was walking down the aisle arm in arm with her father. The guests gasped at the sight of her, beaming and simply glowing in happiness, and she spotted him just up ahead.

This was _her _day and there was nothing, absolutely nothing that could ruin it for her. Except for that.

As she slowly walked up to Scorpius, she felt her stomach plummet and sink as her smiled became a struggle to keep on. Because his gaze wasn't on her, like it should've been.

It was on the girl behind her.

And it was then, in the midst of all those people, that Dominique realized that maybe Scorpius hadn't quite gotten over Rose either. But she had already reached the altar, and was standing in front of him with the priest speaking the words.

"Do you, Dominique Weasley, take Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part."

Dominique tried to smile. "I do."

"And do you, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, take Dominique Weasley, to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part."

Scorpius looked pale and sweaty; like he was trapped and had no way out.

"I… I-I can't do this!"

Among the horrified gasps of the crowd and the enraged shouts of her father, Dominique stood by herself next to the priest. The tent was overcrowded with standing and shouting people, but she had never felt more alone in her life.


	15. Brotherly Instinct

**A/N: This was done for the brotherly instinct competition with the character James and Albus, with the prompt 'waterhose'.**

* * *

It all started when Albus tripped over the water hose.

They had been in Diagon Alley, helping their mother shop for groceries when Albus, not seeing the water hose lying there, stumbled and fell in plain view of a group of children who were playing near by. At first, they had just stared so he awkwardly got to his feet, brushed off his trousers, and ran to catch up with his mom.

The next day was when everything went to hell.

Albus had padded outside their house in the morning to enjoy the sunshine when he saw them again. They immediately circled him loosely, and yelled names at him, sneering at him distastefully with jealousy and cruelty. And then, at the sound of the door opening, they scattered and ran away, leaving Albus huddled on the ground close to tears. His dad asked him what was wrong, and he replied that he had tripped and it was nothing big. His father, after sending him a worried look, accepted his explanation and went back into the house.

It was just childish fun, he tried to convince himself, they would go back to whatever they were doing soon. But it had continued. Day after day, they came back to torment him and call him names. It got to the point where they became brave enough to start hitting him.

"I can't believe this is Harry Potter's son." One of them, the ringleader, sneered at him, before kicking him in the stomach and running away.

Albus whimpered softly to himself, hoping someone would come save him soon.

* * *

James would never admit it to anyone, but he was worried about Albus. He wasn't sure when it began but the realization came to him all of a sudden when he noted that Albus had become withdrawn, barely speaking to anyone anymore and never yelling at him after a prank. He could tell that his parents were worried too. They stayed up late at night, whispering to each other and wondering what was going on. It was then that James resolved to figure out the mystery, if it was the last thing he did. And so he woke up early the next morning, intent on following his younger brother to see what he was doing.

James quickly dove behind a clump of nearby bushes as he watched Albus walk out of the house with a miserable expression on his face and his shoulders hunched down. From such a large distance, James could just barely make out the fear in his expression and his stomach clenched with worry.

And then, a group of about four boys came out of nowhere and started taunting and mocking him. James went completely still with shock. How did he not see this? He was Albus's older brother, for goodness sake! One of the boys, having enough of name-calling, lunged forward with a fist balled up.

But the punch never reached him.

The boy gaped in surprise. In front of him stood James, hanging onto his fist with anger burning in his eyes. He was furious.

Letting his emotions take a hold of him, he proceeded to beat the crap out of the group with fists flying and feet kicking.

And as he stood there in the morning light with four unconscious boys lying around him, he silently turned around and offered a hand to Albus, who took it gladly. Suddenly, the tears started pouring out and James patted his head comfortingly. Together, they walked back to the house where their parents were waiting.

* * *

They called James many things: a prankster, a moron, a joker, or even the-idiot-who-decided-it-was-a-good-idea-to-jump-off-the-staircase. But one thing James never was, ever since that day, was a bully. And that was where the two James Potter's differed.


	16. Imagination

**A/N: Written for the Quidditch European Cup, Round 1 with the prompts guilt, thread, and trap. **

* * *

"There they are!" A deep, baritone voice shouted.

Albus jerked awake, hurriedly grabbing his measly possessions and scrambling to his feet. Somewhere to his left, he could hear his friend Scorpius and the runaway princess, Rose, getting swiftly onto their feet. They had been on the run for a while, and by now, they were more than used to the sleepless nights and little food to eat, the fear and the anxiety of getting caught. He quietly cursed under his breath as his single leather bag got caught within the confines of a branch nearby.

"Al! Just drop it and go! They're gaining on us!" Scorpius whispered urgently.

Albus cursed once again. His most precious belonging was in there… but, if he didn't leave now, he would be dead meat. Even from this distance, he could hear the snarling and growling of the monster the palace guards had brought with them. With one last look at his bag, he dropped it and the three escaped together into the darkness of night.

It had all began when his sister, Lily, had contracted a dangerous disease that was incurable. His sweet, kind sister hadn't cried at the news. Instead, she merely smiled and said that all life must come to an end someday. Albus's father, the King, had nearly worked himself into desperation trying to find something, _anything _that would get rid of the disease. But it was no use. On that day, she gave her family, who surrounded her worriedly, one last smile before she slowly closed her eyes. Her already pale complexion whitened even further as the heavens themselves cried their sorrow.

The queen, Ginny, was so despaired that she locked herself in her room while his father ruled even more strictly than ever. And his brother, James, kept practicing his fencing and swordplay and archery to the point where he became the Captain of the Royal Guards. Albus had read; he just kept reading book after book to drown his sorrow. Of course this was to be expected; after all, everyone had their own way to deal with grief. A month later, Albus came upon a story where a ghost was looking down on his grieving family, and he realized that Lily would not want them to stay moping around after her death. She was always the selfless one.

And so he picked up the pieces of his heart, and went back to a normal routine. But nothing had changed. His mother still was never seen outside anymore, his father still threw himself into the duties of a King, and his brother never laughed anymore like he used to. Albus realized that they were still wrought with guilt over Lily's death. And he just couldn't take it.

So he ran away.

Along the way, he had met Rose, who was the princess in a nearby kingdom, and Scorpius, one of the kingdom's guards, who was assisting her in escaping. Apparently, her father wanted to force her into a marriage. She was an only child and her father wanted to make an alliance with another kingdom. It was apparent in the way she and Scorpius talked and acted around each other that they were in love with each other.

And now, after a year of being on the run, they were spotted. How ironic it was, that the very person chasing them was his own brother, James. As they sprinted through the dense forestry, staggering in exhaustion, Albus couldn't help but fear for Scorpius's life. After all, he and Rose were royalty and would not be executed, but his friend would be killed for treason against two kingdoms.

All of a sudden, he heard a yelp from Rose, and stopped to see what happened. His eyes widened in alarm. It was a trap! The princess was being hung in the air by a thin thread with tears in her eyes. Behind him, he could hear the triumphant yell from his brother.

"Go!" She yelled desperately. "Go on without me! They'll catch you at this rate!"

"No." Scorpius said, looking serious.

"We're not leaving without you." Albus replied, just as seriously.

The cries of the monster were getting closer.

"_Hugh!" It roared. "Hugo hungry!"_

"We either live together of die together." Scorpius said, grasping one of her hands. Albus reached over and held her other one, giving her a reassuring smile.

"You guys…" Rose muttered, tears falling feely from her eyes now.

And then as one, they turned to look into the gaping jaws of their death.

* * *

A four-year old Hugo tackled them, sending the three children giggling onto the ground. Near the kitchen, Lily got up and stretched her back from lying on the ground for so long as Harry and Ginny watched, amused.

"Why did I have to be the one who died?" She complained. "It was so boring!"

"Well, I think being the bad guy is pretty fun." James shrugged. "Right, dad?"

Harry grinned at the group of kids playing and tussling on the floor. "It was a new experience." He said.

"Well I liked _my _part." Rose said happily.

"Me too." Albus agreed with a smile.

"We'll always be together." Scorpius said, hugging the other two. "Friends forever."

"Friends forever." Albus and Rose chorused quietly, as they sat in ring together, holding hands.


	17. Bookends

**A/N: A very, very, _very _short drabble written for the 'I am extraordinarily annoyed by' Challenge**

* * *

A bead of sweat dripped down Hermione's face as she concentrated on her task. It ranked high up on her list among the most complicated things she had ever done. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she held her breath. She just had to go slowly and carefully. Slowly… she was almost there! Just a little more!

_Crash!_

Hermione nearly screamed in frustration as her books tumbled to the ground around her. The bookend that she had been attempting to remove was loosely grasped in her fist. Why, _why_, did this always have to happen to her, she wondered in irritation. She would hold the books while she slipped the bookend out, or try and wiggle it out carefully, but the end was always the same. The books would fall off her bookshelf and she would be standing in the rubble. Throwing the damned object on her bed, she stormed off to dinner.

* * *

"So," Hermione began conversationally to her parents, "about those digital books you were telling me about…"


	18. At First Sight

**A/N: Written for the 3rd Annual Can you write a Romance Challenge and the Confession Challenge.**

* * *

Narcissa used to think of the world in monotone. Everything was painted a shade of grey. There was nothing white and nothing black. Just…grey. She didn't mind being in an arranged marriage, because that was her family duty and what she was supposed to do. She didn't really care wither way. It was the reason she was her mother's favorite. In a way, she was similar to a doll for the first fourteen years of her life.

And then she had met him.

It was just a glance in his direction; after all, he was a Malfoy and was famous in the Pureblood Society. Even her own mother had drilled into them that the Malfoys were very important to society and to get on their good side from their birth. So, of course, Narcissa had been curious as to what they were like. One tiny little peek at him to satiate her inquisitive mind. And it just so happened, at that moment, that his eyes caught hers and he completely froze where he stood.

Narcissa had wondered why her heart sped up, just a bit, and quickly fled to her History of Magic class. The monotonous voice of Professor Binns drifted in through one ear and left the other. Narcissa couldn't help but think about the Malfoy (she didn't know his name yet) and she pondered why her face suddenly felt hot.

The next few months came and flew by quickly. Apart from her heartbeat suddenly speeding up sometimes and her resisting the urge to write 'Narcissa Malfoy' on her parchment, she was having another regular year at Hogwarts. But the one thing that had changed was that she felt lighter than usual. She didn't know if it was just her, but the flowers suddenly seemed a lot brighter and the aroma from her food suddenly a lot more appealing.

Narcissa couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

So, she went to her sister, Andromeda, who wouldn't laugh at her for inquiring about it. One night, she snuck down to her sister's dorms and, to her relief, found her alone and quietly reading a book. At the sound of the door creaking, she raised an eyebrow in surprise and put down her book, gesturing for her to sit down.

For a moment, the two girls sat there as Andromeda waited patiently for Narcissa to speak.

"Andromeda," she started slowly, "I think Malfoy has cursed me somehow without me knowing it."

Once again, Andromeda's eyebrows were raised high. She decided to humor her. "What makes you think that, Cissy?"

She confessed everything. How she glanced at Malfoy one day (it was just a peek!) and then after that, her face started getting warm, her heartbeat always sped up nowadays, and how she always felt all like she was floating on air. Andromeda listened carefully to all of this, and at the end, a small smile was starting to form on her face.

"Does that match any of the symptoms of a curse, or even a potion?" Narcissa asked, leaning forward hopefully. Instead, Andromeda simply laughed and ruffled her hair fondly.

"No, it doesn't. But this can only mean one thing." She declared dramatically. Narcissa's eyes widened.

"What? What is it?"

"You, my dear sister, are in love with Lucius Malfoy."

And that was the beginning of everything.

With this realization, Narcissa started avoiding him. After all, if she didn't see him, the butterflies in her stomach would go away right? She didn't really want to feel like this. It was throwing her completely off balance and it seemed like she wasn't in control of her own feelings. In the Pureblood Society, control and cool headedness was everything. But it seemed that everywhere she went, he was there too, watching her quietly. That was all he really did, actually. He stayed at a distance, contemplating her, or whatever it was that he did.

But then, one day, he came up to her. Narcissa stared at him. It was her first time seeing him up close and her fingers twitched with the urge to run her fingers through his hair. It looked even silkier from this distance.

"Narcissa Black." He started, his voice almost a monotone. He looked at her intensely. "You are the most beautiful, wonderful, modest woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Please, will you be my girlfriend?"

As Narcissa stared at him, stunned, her mouth opened of her own accord. _I must tell him no, _she thought, _and then my life will be back to normal_.

"I-I suppose I'll say yes." She found herself saying, much to her surprise. Narcissa was entirely unprepared for the warmth to spread around her body at her at her words, nor the brief happiness that shone through his cracked façade of emotionlessness.

_She was his from the very beginning, after all. _

* * *

Omake:

Lucius paced back and forth anxiously while Narcissa watched nearby from the couch.

"So?" She asked, quietly sipping her tea. "What did you want to tell me?"

He paused in his path, glancing at her somewhat nervously. Running a hand through his hair, he decided to go sit beside her. Clasping her hands in his, he looked her right in the eye.

"The truth is, I had a bit a man-crush on Severus during our Hogwarts years." He explained, watching her face for any reaction. "It was nothing big! It was simply a small thing that went away soon. I just wanted to let you know before we get married."

Narcissa blinked. "That's great, dear." She deadpanned as she got up to go to bed.

Maybe this would all be a dream when she woke up.


	19. Follow the Starfish

**A/N: Written for the Two Prompt Drabble Challenge. **

* * *

Lily Luna Potter frowned as she looked around her. The beach was empty except for her cousin, Rose Weasley. Today, their family had decided to come here for some reason that the girl couldn't fathom. Not that she was complaining or anything, but it wasn't like them to suddenly decide to go somewhere without any other planning or celebration. But she decided to ignore that, and had wandered off to go look at the ocean. And then, when she turned back again, the beach behind her was almost completely deserted.

Lily's forehead was creased in thought as she walked over to Rose. The older girl didn't seem to be bothered by anything, or even worried, so Lily deduced that she must've seen where they went.

"Rosie, where did everyone else go?" She asked curiously.

The girl simply shrugged as an answer. "I don't know. They all suddenly left."

However, Rose had a smug smile on her face. It was the same smile that she always had on when she knew something that you didn't. But Lily trusted Rose so she just went along with it.

"Oh. Okay, then. What do you want to do until they come back?"

"I don't mind anything. You can choose." Rose replied.

So for the next couple of hours, the two girls made sandcastles and played tag and splashed in the ocean. Finally, they collapsed, exhausted, on the towel laid on the ground. As Lily reached for her water bottle, she noticed Rose staring at something intently, and then nodding, from the corner of her eye. Standing up abruptly, she reached down and helped Lily up.

"Where are we going? Lily wondered as Rose led her near the water.

"Let's play another game. It's called 'Follow the Starfish.'" She grinned, pointing at the ground, where a starfish sat innocently.

Lily squealed in excitement.

"Maybe if we follow them, it'll lead us to their home and we'll see the big mother of all starfish!" She said happily, her imagination working on overdrive. "The mother will be bright pink, with polka dots and she be wearing a frilly apron and cooking for her little starfish kids!"

Rose listened, amused, as Lily took the lead cheerfully commented each starfish they passed by. At last, they came to one half-hidden in the bushes. Lily lowered her voice and whispered, "Shh… the mother must be through these bushes."

Rose grinned and together, they jumped through the greenery.

* * *

"Happy birthday Lily!" Came a chorus of voices.

Lily looked around with wide eyes at the people in the clearing and the towering cake in the middle of long table.

"This is even better than seeing the mother of all starfish."


	20. Scars

**A/N: Written for the Song Lyrics Compeition**

* * *

"_I decided long ago,_

_Never to let your loved ones know_

_Who you really are_

_People want the truth but never the scars"_

Draco plastered a fake smile on his face as he greeted all the important figures in the Ministry and the Pureblood Society at the party his father was hosting. They all commented on how he was such an accomplished young lad, and how he was destined for great things. His father simply smiled and accepted the praise meant for him.

He hated it.

He hated the masks and the fake politeness. He hated _everything_. He hated how he didn't have any friends at school (because in the Slytherin House, there were no friends; only allies.) He would never admit it to anyone, but he could always feel envy well up in him when he saw Potter and his friends laughing together and depending on each other. But he never said anything. Because his parents, but most of all his _mother _would be worried sick about him.

Draco was scarred because he was _trapped. _

* * *

Hermione pressed her lips together and kept her tears at bay. The hallway seemed endless as she made her way past the staring children. _Bookworm, know-it-all, bossy, _they called her, mocked her. _Teacher's pet, freak, weirdo. _Whoever said that words couldn't hurt you was absolutely and completely wrong. She gritted her teeth, ignoring how the words cut into her. She had never told her parents about the isolation. Hermione knew that they would worry about it, probably deteriorating their health even more.

Hermione was scarred because she was _lonely._

* * *

Harry stifled a sigh as he watched his 'adoring' fans make googly-eyes at him. His shoulders were slumped with the weight of the Wizarding World and he knew it was high time before he completely snapped. Not that he was allowed to, of course. He had to be a leader, someone strong in the face of Voldemort. He was never allowed a break, and expected to do things other people normally couldn't. He was always on a pedestal, never allowed down. People envied him for his fame, but really, he would give almost anything to have a normal life. To not spend his life glancing over his shoulder or constantly practicing spells. But he didn't tell his friends, because he knew they would be upset and grow even more worried.

Harry was scarred because he was _idolized._

* * *

Ron held back a frustrated groan at one of the Weasley Reunions. It wasn't that he didn't love his family… he was loyal to them and would always be, but it was hard, knowing that he was _just another Weasley_. Even in his immediate family he was always in the background. Bill had been Head Boy yet was cool at the same time. Charlie had a talent with Qudditch and was obsessed with dragons. Percy was really intelligent. Fred and George could stand out just about anywhere. And Ginny was the only daughter in the family. And he was just… Ron. But he knew he would never tell them, because his mother was already at her limit with seven children, and his father was working to the bone to be able to support them.

Ron was scarred because he was _overshadowed._

* * *

Luna glided along the Hogwarts floor with a dreamy look in her eyes. They thought she couldn't hear them. The whispers, the pointing, her stuff being stolen away. She acted like it didn't bother her, and most of the time, it didn't. But she was still a human girl. She had feelings too even though she had an odd way of showing it. But she never told her father. She knew that her mother's death had severely cracked him, and this could be the catalyst in completely breaking him.

Luna was scarred because she was _different. _


	21. Sing

**A/N: Written for the One Word Prompt Challenge. **

* * *

James loved Lily. Really. He did.

But this… this was just too much.

It had all started on one perfectly normal day, as most things do. He had been about to saunter up to her to ask her out again when he had heard her humming to herself. She was in a decidedly good mood, so James figured he would go bother her tomorrow. But as he thought about it some more, he realized that he had never heard her hum before. Therefore, James came to a conclusion. He deduced that if she was in good mood, she would hum, but when she was really _really _happy, then she would sing.

So he made it his new goal to hear her sing. Sirius was eager to help out, throwing ideas out every couple of seconds. Peter nodded enthusiastically at him, while Remus merely sighed at his friends and went back to studying. But nothing worked. He tried playing music while she was in the room, he tried singing while walking past her, and asking her out would just put her in a sour mood, so he didn't do that.

James threw himself down on a couch tiredly in the Gryffindor common room.

"Why aren't our ideas working?" Sirius grumbled. "That's it. You're going to have to initiate plan Last Ditch tomorrow."

"Wasn't that our last plan?" James asked.

Sirius merely shrugged. "This is your last chance."

The next day, James walked directly up to Lily. She was about to go to Potions class and was walking with Severus there. The greasy haired boy scowled when he saw him, but James wouldn't do anything with Lily there.

"Lily Evans." He stated. "Will you please sing for me?"

He was so concentrated on the girl's face that he didn't see the fear cross Severus's face, nor the fleeing of anyone Gryffindor in the hallways. That was his mistake. But Lily had beamed at that question.

"Uh, Lily, I just realized I forgot something." Severus quickly muttered. "I'll catch you later."

Lily grabbed James's hand and tugged him along. "Come, I'll sing to you while we're walking."

James brightened considerably. "Sure!" He immediately agreed.

Lily was nearly bouncing on her feet now. She opened her mouth and…

James staggered back in shock. Her voice was nice enough when she talked, but when she sang it morphed into a banshee's. The tune she was singing was so off-tune and out of balance it was painful to hear. In fact, James swore his ears were ringing.

"Well? How was it?" Lily asked.

"It-it was wonderful." James somehow managed to stutter out. "We're going to be late to class. I'm going ahead!" With that, he fled the scene like one of Hagrid's creatures were on him.

Lily sighed happily. Finally, there was someone who appreciated her beautiful singing. She never expected it to be Potter, though. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. But then she blinked. Since when was he worried about being late? And for that matter, she had never seen him run so fast.

The girl shrugged. Ah, well.

* * *

Years later, Lily Evans and James Potter had just started dating. They had taken a stroll down to the lake, hands intertwined. Lily smiled contently.

"I'm so happy I could sing!" She exclaimed.

James immediatly paled. "Please, for the sake of my sanity, don't."


	22. Cellar

**A/N: Written for the Word Prompt Fun Challenge.**

* * *

Lily had a part time job at the Three Broomsticks. Now, you may be wondering, why did she have a part time job? It was for two reasons actually. The first one was so Potter would stop asking her out because she was busy every Hogsmeade weekend, and the other was that she had already seen Hogsmeade plenty of times, and so had nothing to do when the weekend came.

It was a busy day today. The bars and tables were crammed full of people and Madame Rosmerta was being run ragged, but she had a happy glow on her face as always. Lily was taking a break in the backroom after a couple hours of hard work. A while later, Madame Rosmerta joined her with two butterbeers in hand.

"Here, darling," she said, holding one out to her. "You deserve it."

Lily's eyes widened. "No, I couldn't possibly! You're already paying me."

The bartender merely laughed merrily and closed Lily's hand around it. Lily sighed, but accepted it. For a moment, the only sounds were the noisy yells from the room over.

"So," Madame Rosmerta began, eyes twinkling mischievously. "How are you doing? Is James still asking you out?"

Lily's eyes flashed dangerously. "_Yes._" She ground out. "I'm never going to go out with him! The only reason he keeps asking me out is because I'm the only girl who hasn't fallen for him. I'm not going to go out with an arrogant tog-rag who doesn't love me!" She finished her rant, slightly out of breath.

Madame Rosmerta shook her head sadly. She knew that Lily was extremely clever, but it amazed her how she didn't see what was right in front of her. She remembered when she first saw them in third year. Lily, back then an adorable little redhead, had stormed in angrily with four boys following her. The leader (she presumed) was black haired boy and was staring at her with obvious adoration in his eyes while the rest of them trailed behind, bored. She watched through the years as that adoration became respect and love and she saw how he utterly devoted himself to the young girl in front of her, and hoped that Lily would see it soon too.

But then, their break was over and all thoughts of James washed away from Lily's mind. Rosmerta stayed for a bit, and then went to the cellar. She had long ago discovered that her cellar contained a trap door, although she never told anyone about it. Especially since four particular boys thought they were being sneaky.

"Well, I guess now that Lily isn't on here anymore, I should get to work too." She announced loudly. And then she left. A couple of seconds later, four figures went tumbling from the shadows.

"Ow, get off me Padfoot!"

"You're stepping on my foot, Wormtail!"

"I'd appreciate not being crushed, thanks."

"I'm sorry guys!" Came a squeaky voice, as slowly the group righted themselves.

James Potter finally sat up and mussed up his hair miserably. "You don't think she really meant that do you?" He asked in a small voice.

Sirius winced. The only place his best friend lost his confidence in was Lily, although he never showed it.

"Of course not!" He exclaimed heartily, thumping his back. "But do you know what this means?"

Everyone turned to stare at him curiously. "What?"

"Lily works here! You can come see her anytime!"

Needless to say, Lily quit her job soon after.


	23. Punctual

**A/N: Written for the Word Count Drabble Challenge. **

* * *

James Potter's eyes snapped open as he simultaneously glanced at the clock.

_Crap! _

He was going to be late again! McGonagall had warned him that another late would result in detention, and tonight was the night of the full moon. Hurriedly, he sprinted down the hallway to the Transfiguration classroom. One more step… he was almost there!

The door to the classroom slammed open.

Minerva McGonagall glanced at her student and sighed. "It seems, Mr. Potter, that you have managed to be on time for once. Go on and have a seat."

Sirius leaned over to Remus. "I wonder if we should we tell him that he only has his boxers on?"


	24. Potion Mishap

**A/N: Written for the Potions Competition. **

* * *

6-year old Lily Potter was bored. She had played with all her dolls and doodled on some paper, but she was already out of things to do. And her parents were out of the house at some meeting too, leaving James to babysit his two siblings. Of course, he hadn't done anything of the sort. James had shut his door the moment they stepped out of the house, and hadn't come out of it since. She had already asked him to play with her, but he had said he was busy, and Albus was reading a book so she didn't want to bother him either. This led to her current situation, sitting on the carpet in the living room and staring into the fireplace.

Her face set into a frown, she wandered into her father's office. He had forbid them to go into there, and usually the door was firmly shut and locked, but he must've been in a hurry to go to his meeting because it was slightly open. Lily wondered why James hadn't noticed yet. Normally, he'd be the first one there and exploiting a possible prank situation but hey, it was his loss.

Lily's eyes travelled around the room. There were a bunch of interesting things in the room! There was a small hourglass that sat on a high shelf, a neatly folded cloak in the corner of the room, and a… blank sheet of parchment that sat on his desk. She ignored these and went to hop on the spinning chair in front of the desk. For a little while, she was thoroughly entertained, spinning around and around until her head felt light and dizzy. As she braced her hand on the desk, she saw a beaker filled with dark liquid. Squinting at it curiously, she decided that it must be coffee. Her mother had warned her about the liquid, telling her not to drink it until she was older. But Lily, feeling especially mischievous today, unplugged the lid, and downed the drink in all one go.

Getting up off the chair, she immediately felt funny. Her stomach was churning, and she could barely walk without stumbling even couple of feet. _'Bathroom.' _She thought weakly. But then, as suddenly as the feeling came, it was gone. She still felt a bit weird though. It was as if the world was suddenly smaller. As she lifted her hand up, she brushed the top of the doorframe, something she couldn't have achieved a few seconds ago. Lily started sprinting for the bathroom, except she kept taking too small steps and ended up falling several times. As she frantically pushed open the door, she came to a stop in front of the mirror.

She screamed bloody murder.

James was planning a delicate prank. It was one that required intense concentration and carefully measured ingredients. He was almost finished, just the last touch and he was…

A bloodcurdling scream made him drop his dung bomb. James gaped, and then jumped up in irritation. It _had _to be Lily! There was no one else who would yell that loudly. Shoving his bedroom door open and charging down the hall furiously, he failed to notice that Albus had also joined him to see what the problem was.

"Lily!" James yelled, storming into the room. He stopped short suddenly, and Albus bumped into his back.

"What's the big idea?" He asked furiously, rubbing his nose. But then he glanced around his older brother and froze on shock. Because the person in front of him wasn't Lily. No, it was a red haired teenager. She was slender and thin, with huge brown eyes that were darting around in panic and orange-red hair that tumbled carelessly around her shoulders. Then, her eyes rested on them, and she started to calm down.

"James! Albus!" She cried happily, with a childish tone of voice.

James stiffened defensively. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" He asked cautiously.

Lily stopped short. "It's me, Lily." She cried, tearing up.

"L-Lily…?" James muttered. And it was true that he could see the similarities between the teen and his younger sister. It was like she was an older version of her. But how in the world did she end up like this?

"What did you do Lily?" Albus asked, almost dreading the answer.

Lily started sniffling. "I-I saw Daddy's office door was open, so I went in. And then I saw some coffee and wanted to see what it tasted like, cause Mommy never lets me try it. And so I drank it, and I felt dizzy, and then I saw what I looked like."

James stared at her incredulously. "Dad's door was open?"

Albus sighed. It figured that he would concentrate on that one thing. "Why don't we go check out the coffee then? It seems like that was what triggered the change." He said logically.

The three siblings followed Albus back to the study. Lily was clinging onto the back of James's shirt, which was a bit awkward for him considering she was now taller and older than him. They stepped into the room cautiously. James glanced at the vial sitting innocently on the desk. It was completely empty. Turning it around, he squinted at the tiny label at the bottom. It read, _'Ageing Potion'_.

His mouth opened, but he couldn't seem to form any words in his shock.

"What is it?" Albus asked. "Did you find out what happened?"

James snapped back into focus. "She drank an Ageing Potion."

Albus fell silent while Lily cocked her head in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" He managed to stutter out.

"I_ said_ Lily drank an Ageing Potion." James snapped. Inwardly though, he was panicking. _Oh my gosh, I'll be grounded for life. Mum and Dad will ban me from going to Hogwarts and my life will be ruined!_

"What's an Ageing Potion?" Lily asked in confusion.

Albus, being the ever-present bookworm, responded immediately. "An Ageing Potion, as the name suggests, ages you. How much you age is directly proportional to how much you drink." He gave his younger sister an appraising look. "Judging by how old you look… I'd say you drank the whole thing."

"Well when is it going to reverse back?" James asked frantically.

Albus shrugged. "A couple of hours at least. We should watch over Lily until then."

James nodded in response. "Got it Lily? You are not to leave our sight until you return back to normal."

However, when they turned back to check for her confirmation, she was gone. The two brothers were left looking at empty air.

"Where did she go?!" James shrieked.

A happy giggle and the sound of the door slamming was his only answer.

Albus's eyes widened. "Lily, get back here!" He yelled, sprinted downstairs with James right on his heels. Jerking out of the door he watched, horrified, as Lily headed towards town.

James cursed. Under any normal circumstances, he would've been able to easily out-run his baby sister. But she was now a 16-year old with longer legs. The only advantage they had was that she was unused to having a larger stride so she wouldn't be able to travel as far.

Suddenly, Lily bumped into a boy standing on the street. He glanced at her in disinterest, then did a double-take. Ruffling his hair, he smiled at her.

"Hey. My name is Sebastian. What's yours?" He asked.

It was then that James and Albus caught up with her.

"It's nothing!" James blurted out.

Sebastian looked down at them. "Oh, so you have little brothers?"

Albus wondered if this guy was an idiot. He must be some kind of moron to not notice that they were Harry Potter's kids.

"Whatever. Lily, we're going!" James said in exasperation.

But it was too late. More guys had noticed Lily and were flocking around them, blocking their escape. Their voices were steadily rising, trying to be heard above the crowd. They were now jostling them around, trying to reach the girl. James glanced around the sea of bodies in panic. _There! _

Grabbing Lily and Albus's hand, he sprinted for the small gap that appeared. It was a good thing that the group of boys were too busy arguing that they didn't notice them escaping. As soon as they were a good distance away, James slumped down on a bench and rubbed his temples.

"Let's go home now." He said.

Lily's eyes widened. "But I don't want to go home yet!"

James and Albus stared at her.

"Why not?" Albus asked.

"Because being grown up is fun!" She replied happily, swinging her legs.

James sighed. There was no way for him to force her to come with them seeing as she was physically more mature now. "Fine." He hissed. "But you have to stay in our sight at all times, clear?"

"Okay!" Lily agreed immediately.

So for the next three hours, the siblings spent playing in the park and avoiding all human contact. Soon, Albus glanced up at the setting sun.

"It's about dinner time." He muttered to James. "Mum and Dad will be coming home soon. The potion should also be wearing off soon."

James nodded. "Lily!" He called. "It's time for dinner so we have to go home now."

The teen jumped up from where she had been inspecting a flower. "Coming!" she shouted back.

As they began walking back home, Lily tripped… and landed on the lap Sebastian, who was sitting on a park bench and reading. He glanced up at the girl on his lap and grinned.

"I was wondering where you went." He purred. "Anyways, I was wondering if you want to go out sometime?"

But he never got his answer as there was a small poof and suddenly, there was a giggling 6 year old sitting in his lap. He stared at her, bewildered.

James grabbed her now smaller hand, and sprinted out of there.

* * *

There was a small pop as two people apparated onto the street. These two were none other than Harry and Ginny Potter. And for a moment, they stared at the silent house in front of them.

"Do you think it was a good idea to let James babysit Albus and Lily?" Ginny whispered. "Look at how quiet it is."

"I'm sure nothing happened." Harry replied easily.

Opening the door to Lily's room, the two parents smiled softly at the sight of their children all fast asleep on Lily's bed. The next day at breakfast, Harry glanced at Ginny and she nodded.

"James," Harry began. The boy in question paled. "Your mother and I were thinking that since you did such a great job watching over your siblings yesterday, if you would want to do it again?"

"NO!"


	25. Contemplation

**A/N: Written fror the second challenge in the European Quidditch Cup**

* * *

If you had walked by the lake at Hogwarts one chilly spring morning, you would've been met by a very strange sight. But as there was no one awake at that hour, James Potter sat by himself, brooding at the edge of the water. Normally, James was a complete social butterfly; always surrounded by his friends or chatting with anyone nearby, but yesterday night he had realized something… something so frightening shocking that he hadn't been able to sleep all night. So as soon as he could, he had come down here to clear his head a bit.

The cold unyielding surface of the large rock James was leaning against dug into his back, and he shifted to make himself more comfortable. Staring across the surface of the lake, he could see ripples travelling outward from where the Giant Squid lounged lazily in the middle of the lake. James really didn't know how to put his thoughts into words. The realization had come to him near midnight while he was on the brink of sleep. He just felt like… he was still the same as he was back when he first entered Hogwarts. He felt like he was frozen in time, staying the same while he watched his friends and family change and grow. He watched as Lily changed from a thin, adorable girl to someone who was smart and charming in everything she did, and how Slughorn claimed that Snape was going to be a great Potions Master while in first year, he had only been slightly better than him at it. And yet, James was still the same as he was when he was younger. Sure, he had changed physically and had gotten some new prank tricks, but he was essentially the same as he was back then. Even his best friends were now thinking about the future, and becoming a little different in accordance to their goals.

James knew it was childish to think that his Hogwarts years would last forever. That he could keep pranking people and having fun with his friends. That he could still ask Lily out and she would one day say yes. That he would always be able to make fun of Snape. But the thing was, that he now realized, everyone was moving on without him. No matter how much he wanted to stay in the present forever, they would keep moving on without stopping. Life didn't just stop for you because you wanted it to. _Maybe, _James thought belatedly, _this is the reason she won't go out with me._

With that thought in mind, James made a silent vow to himself. He was going to start changing, from here on out. No matter what little steps he had to take to get to his goals, no matter how many obstacles he had to struggle through, he would start moving towards the future with his friends and family. He wasn't going to be left behind.

It was a promise he would carry until his last moments in this world.


	26. Black

**A/N: Written for the Classical catergory in the Music Awards 2012-A Compteition**

* * *

Walburga Black always knew there was something wrong with her oldest son. Ever since he was little, he had not been polite, charming, or clever like all pureblooded families should be. He hadn't been like his younger brother, who was the perfect clay for her to mold him into. No, instead he had been hot-headed, mischievous, and all too rash for her liking. Sirius had always the first one to race down the stairs at Christmas, or complain when something went wrong despite being raised in a respected family. So when he was sorted into _that _house, she wasn't surprised. Oh, sure, she made a huge fuss of it, but it did not come as a shock to her. She honestly didn't understand where she went wrong with him. Was it her fault? (No, that couldn't possibly be it.) Did she do something to cause him to become like that? But it was already too late to change anything, so, in true Slytherin fashion; she retreated and began to work on the other brother.

And for a while, this tactic worked well. She strictly ground into him the rules of Pureblood Society. What he should do and what he shouldn't do; who to kiss up to and who to mock. To her express delight, Regulus conformed well to her high standards and was sorted into Slytherin, seamlessly fitting in with his classmates and allies. Other mothers commented on how well behaved he was compared to the uncouth Sirius and she basked in the praise. But she could tell that there was something building up within Sirus. She was his mother, whether he acknowledged it or not, and she knew his temper very well. This was simply the calm before the storm.

And she was horribly right.

One night at dinner, he completely snapped. Viciously shouting at them, Walburga countered right back. This had been happening with an increasing frequency the past few years, so Regulus and Orion sat quietly and waited for the argument to blow over. At the climax of the fight, with food forgotten and hexes flying, Sirius shouted that he was leaving and stormed out of the dining room. This was all ignored, of course, as this had happened before and he had always stayed. But when Walburga snapped open the door to his room expertly the next morning, what met her was an empty bed and an equally empty room.

A week passed, and then another week. Finally, a month passed and she understood that he wasn't coming back.

Walburga wasn't bothered with the situation and Orion merely went on as if it had never happened. But no matter how much Regulus tried to act with indifference, she could see the hurt and betrayal that showed clearly on his face. And she knew all her hard work was going to come crashing down on her, because underneath all that carefully molded clay was a little boy who adored his older brother. She watched as he recklessly joined the Death Eaters. Watched as his face slowly lost their pallor over the next few years as the war raged on. And then she couldn't watch anymore. Her world had become dark and when her eyes blinked open again, she was staring at a familiar wall.

The last time she saw her youngest son was the day he came charging into the house he had grown up in with eyes frantically darting around like a trapped animal. It was a far cry from the composed boy she had raised since birth, so she did not call out her presence, and simply watched. She saw him whisper urgently to her faithful house elf, and then with a sharp _crack_, they disappeared. And Walburga knew she wouldn't be seeing him again.

And then it was the older brother's turn. He walked into the house… with _filthy _Mudblood's and dared to use her house as headquarters for the Order! Immediately, she began screeching her displeasure at them. She saw his face curl into a disgusted sneer as someone conjured curtains around her and he yanked them shut. Then one night, when she glimpsed Kreacher sneaking out of the house, she knew that her next son was going to be gone soon.

Yet still she watched. It was the only thing she could do after all. She had long since departed that world and was only in fact, a painting. But as she saw the grieving faces of the black haired boy, and the werewolf; everyone in the Order actually, she wondered if there really was something wrong with her oldest son. This raw pain couldn't really be a mistake, could it? Looking down, she realized her paint was getting wet and blurring, and she could feel herself slipping.

It would be a long time before anyone noticed the former portrait of Walburga Black, damp and completely void of life.


	27. Concealer

**A/N: Written for the Music Awards 2012-A Competition in the Choir catergory.**

* * *

The morning of a Hogsmeade weekend dawned early and bright as the students of Hogwarts lined themselves up to walk down to the quaint village. Amongst these students were three huddled together, whispering furiously. This trio of students were notoriously famous for always being in whatever mystery surrounded the school, and always getting out alive and sound. And thus, the school population had unofficially dubbed them 'The Golden Trio'.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were arguing rapidly under their breath, not wanting anyone to overhear them.

"I'm telling you, Malfoy is a Death Eater!" Harry whisper-yelled in exasperation.

"And _I'm _saying that there's no way he could be one! For one, he's way too young and experienced to be welcomed into their inner circle." Hermione countered back.

"Yes, but he's a student which means he has access to Hogwarts and therefore, Dumbledore too!" Harry said.

"I think you're being too paranoid. He is not a Death Eater!" the bushy-haired girl sighed.

Harry was stopped from giving another argument as it was their turn for Filch to inspect them. He sneered at them before grumpily waving them along.

The argument was put to rest briefly as they walked the familiar paths to their favourite places. Zonko's, the candy store, and the bookstore were among some of the areas they visited. Finally, they ended up in a booth seat in the Three Broomsticks. A flash of white-blond hair caught Harry's eye, and he realized that Malfoy had just entered the store. Their eyes met briefly, exchanging customary disgusted looks at each other, before looking away. And then suddenly, Harry realized that with the pub so crowded, Malfoy would have to take off his thick jacket, and therefore, exposing his upper arm. While Ron and Hermione were involved in another one of their arguments, Harry quietly sipped his butterbeer and discreetly glanced in the direction of the blonde haired boy from the corner of his eye.

"What are you doing, mate?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione was frowned disapprovingly at him when she saw the direction his gaze was pointing in.

"Quiet!" He hissed. "Malfoy's taking off his coat!"

"You don't know how wrong that sounds." Ron muttered, but hushed up quickly.

Slowly, the arm of his jacket lowered and Harry tensed, waiting for the customary black mark to show up clearly against his pale skin. As the jacket was lowered to the seat, the boy-who-lived slumped against his seat in confusion and disappointment. There had been nothing as much as a scratch that marred his skin. Even without lifting his head, he could tell Hermione had her 'I told you so' look and was struggling not to say it out loud.

But, he just didn't understand! His instincts were rarely wrong, and he was certain that Malfoy was a Death Eater. Why else would he keep disappearing on the Marauders Map? His voice didn't seem to be working as he drained the rest of his drink and let his friends lead him back to Hogwarts.

* * *

Malfoy was in a gleeful mood as he walked back to the castle at the end of the day. His bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle, followed him at a distance. They had said some pretty stupid things on the way back, but he felt so triumphant that it didn't even ruin his mood. He practically bounced all the way down to the dungeons, getting him some odd looks from his housemates. He entered the bathrrom with a small smile on his face. Later, as he exited the showers in the Slytherin dorm, he slowly rubbed a location on his upper arm until black could be seen underneath it. He eyed the small container on the counter. The concealer his mother had given him to hide the mark was pretty useful. Perhaps those Mudblood's weren't completely stupid after all. Remembering the look of shock on Potter's face, his face lifted into a grin again and even began humming as he headed for his room.


	28. Arnold

**A/N: Written for the School Subject Compeition and the Creature Challenge.**

* * *

The first thing that I saw when I awoke from my sleep was _her_. Not she-who-birthed-me, but her. The big thing that walked on two long things (what were they called again; humus, humas?), with wavy red fur cascading down her back. The others of my kind had explained to me when I arrived into this world, how they were to sit here and try to find a master so the two identical Gods with similar red fur would be happy. So for a little while, I sat and rolled and squeaked happily, trying to get the attention of the humus. And then she had walked in, and I immediately knew that I wanted her to be my master. I squeaked at her, but she didn't notice me. Frowning, I squeaked in my loudest voice, and finally, the she-red-fur looked over. Her eyes widened in surprise, voice forming and 'O', and rushed right over.

"You guys are so adorable!" She said, smiling.

I rolled around a bit in confusion. What was an 'adorable'? Weren't we called Puffs? She let out a very musical sound, one that I would later come to know as a sound of happiness, and reached a finger into our cage. Of course, we Puffs were very friendly and crowded her, but I was determined to get there first. She made a crooning noise, and stroked a finger through my fur. I quietly yipped in happiness, and snuggled closer to her. The Gods appeared next to her, and she exchanged words with them that I didn't understand. All I knew was that she was looking away when she should've been paying attention to me. I squeaked again to try and get her attention. A little while later, I was being carried in another cage with the red-fur carrying me.

She peered down at me. "What should I name you? Hm… you look like an Arnold, don't you?"

I didn't know what an Arnold was, but it sounded nice so I squeaked at her. She made that musical sound again, and reached in to pet my head.

"Well, you seem to like it, so Arnold it is."

I didn't know what she was saying. I didn't really know anything, seeing as I was born just a few days ago, but I knew that with the red-fur by my side, I could take anything.

…

…

…

And that green-eyed-one had better watch out. I didn't like the way he was eyeing my new master…


	29. Family

**A/N Written for the Bechdel test Competition. Also, I absolutely cannot write Fleur's accent so you'll just have to imagine it. **

* * *

Ginny walked into the living room of Shell Cottage quietly. It was about dinner time and Fleur was in the kitchen cooking dinner for them. Really, it was only just her, Fleur, and Molly in the house because everyone else was busy. Molly had gone to take a nap, and thus, left Ginny alone with Fleur. Ginny didn't really like spending time with the French girl. Not because she didn't like her, but because when she did, she would always feel guilty for all the mean and cruel things she had said about her. And it had turned out that everything had been false and she had been wrong the whole time.

"Dinner's ready!" She heard Fleur call from the kitchen. Immediately, Ginny got up from her seat on the couch to help the older girl set the table.

After a while, the table was loaded with food. Ginny inwardly marvelled at how she had become such a good cook after only a couple days under Molly's tutelage. But it was once again getting awkward with the two girls sitting there in the growing darkness.

"Do you want me to go wake up Mum?" Ginny asked. "She's still asleep."

"It's okay." Fleur said, shaking her head. "She has been overworked lately perhaps we should let her sleep."

Ginny made a sound of agreement, and for a moment, the only sounds were the two girls eating.

Suddenly, Fleur spoke up again. "Why do you avoid me? Do you really dislike me so much?"

Ginny stiffened in surprise. Her head lowered in shame and sorrow as she clenched her fists. "No… it's not that. You are an amazing person, talented and caring and perfect for Bill." Here the girl bit her lip, and decided to look the other one straight in the eye. Fleur met her gaze steadily.

"I just… feel so bad for being so mean to you when you guys started dating." Ginny sighed. "You might not have noticed but—"

"Notice? All those times you called me Phlegm or vomited behind my back? Every single time Molly would disagree with me for the sake of disagreeing with me? How could I have _not _noticed?" Fleur said, slightly bitterly.

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't realized how much the French girl had noticed. She had never given any sort of indication that she was upset or insulted, and had continued in her relationship with Bill.

Ginny mouthed her words silently in shock before speaking again. "I-but, how is it that you don't hate us?"

Fleur was silent for a while. "I did. I hated you guys so much at one time. I considered leaving you and Bill. I didn't do anything to have to endure that. But then… I saw how you interacted. The way how even when you were arguing, it was blatantly obvious that you cared for each other. And I knew that, everyone made mistakes and this was just one of it. I wanted to be a part of that, and I really couldn't imagine my life without William so… I stayed." Fleur smiled slightly at that. "I persevered somehow and everything became okay."

Ginny felt her legs trembling as tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" She cried, burying her face into her hands.

Fleur came over and gently patted her back. "It's okay now. Don't cry, we're family now…"


	30. Daydream

**A/N: Written for the Fanfiction Triwizard Tounament. **

* * *

Draco still remembered the first time he met Loony Lovegood. It was in second year, while everyone was panicking about the Heir of Slytherin and whatnot. He was laughing at the very notion that they thought _Potter _was the Heir, even though there were no possible evidence that pointed to him. he was too soft to kill someone, or condemn them to death. Turning the corner, he had seen a blonde girl with airy grey eyes doing some sort of weird dance with her arms above her head. He had stopped. Stared. She didn't even notice him, so he eventually just walked past her uneasily and hurried back to his dorm.

And then somehow, he kept seeing her everywhere. He didn't know how these strange sightings continued but he kept seeing her, year after year after _year _doing these odd things that normal people couldn't even begin to comprehend. There was one time he even caught her surrounded by candles and humming a song for Merlin's sake! As usual, he scowled at her, and she smiled dreamily back before he rushed forward and pretended she wasn't there.

The breaking point, for him, was the day that they sat next to each other in Arithmancy. She was constantly doing odd things or randomly floating around the room during a lecture. He just couldn't take it anymore! One day, he exploded at her.

"Why are you such a bloody _freak?_" he had screamed angrily. "Believing in things no one else does, waving your arms around in some goddamn ritual! What the heck is a Crumple-Horned Snorkack anyways? And just _what _is _wrong _with you?"

She, as always, simply smiled at him, unruffled, and didn't say anything for a while. Then suddenly, she tilted her head at him and opened her mouth to speak.

"Tell me then Draco, what proof do you have that a Crumple-Horned Snorkack doesn't exist?"

Draco stayed silent. Luna smiled serenely at him.

"I believe that anything can happen, unless proven otherwise." With that, she drifted down the hallway, leaving him standing there.

Then the war happened. It came across them like an explosion, sucking his breath away and catching him off-balance. Every knew it was coming for the past year or so, but when it was actually here they were all surprise, with him being no exception. The Battle of Hogwarts came and went. He wondered if he should be upset that the Dark Lord was dead.

He wasn't.

But still, it was hard to find a decent job with the black snake marring his arm and his reputation miles ahead of him. Doors were slammed in his face; whispers followed him everywhere he went. It was such a change from his childhood, where the pureblood's were held above everyone else. And it wasn't just him; he knew that Pansy and Blaise were struggling too.

One day, he came across Luna.. She was sitting in a field that he went to get some peace of mind and she was just sitting there, happily munching on a bar of chocolate. It had been years since he had seen her, and she didn't look different at all. It instantly transported him back to his Hogwarts days, where he spent his days lazing around and having fun. There was no one around. Draco hesitantly let down the guard he constantly kept around other people. It was just her, after all. She glanced up at his arrival and smiled at him, patting the seat next to her. Draco sat down stiffly, as if there were several red-hot embers underneath him.

She then began talking like they were friends or something. It was weird, but Draco actually felt himself relaxing slightly in her presence. It was soothing; a balm to his tense presence. She didn't judge you by your family or by what you'd done in the past.

The meetings continued on in secret. Draco started looking forward to these gatherings and so they continued month after month. Their conversations ranged from make believe creatures to Hogwarts to apples at one point. It was a relaxing time for him, and, as he looked back on it, the best days of his life. It was around this time that he suspected he had somehow… acquired feelings for the girl. (He didn't fall in love with her because pureblood's did not just fall in love.)

But of course, all good things had to come to an end.

"I'm having an arranged marriage." He said to her stiffly.

Draco thought he saw something flash in her eyes for a moment, before it returned to its normal dreamy look.

"Oh, is that so?" She asked lightly.

'_Please, say something' _He mentally begged her. But she seemed to be staring at him intently, also waiting for something. And he realized, he was at a crossroad. He could either forsake his family and go off with her (he was sure she had feelings for him too), or he could go along with the marriage and never think of her again.

It was the hardest decision he ever had to make. Even harder than the choice to get the Dark Mark or joined the Dark Lord in his quest to conquer the Wizarding world. After sitting there quietly for a while, he got up to return to his house to think.

He didn't return the next day. Or the day after that.

* * *

Draco sighed, replaying the memories in his head over and over again. It had been years since he had made that decision, yet he still remembered it clear as day. He regretted it now.

Astoria walked in from the kitchen. "It's dinner time." She said quietly.

As Draco glanced at her, her brown eyes and hair were replaced by white blonde hair with dreamy grey eyes. He sighed. As if. He nodded at Astoria, who wanted to be in this marriage as much as he did (but they were Slytherins and had come to a truce) and she ducked out of sight. Giving himself a firm slap to his cheek, he forced a reality check on himself. This was his life now, he thought, and there was nothing that could change it.

It was useless chasing after daydreams.


	31. Breathing

**A/N: Written for the Twenty Minute Drabble Challenge! **

* * *

Hermione stared at Ron nervously, wringing her hands in a movement of nervousness. Ron simply watched her, confused. It was unusual for her to be worried about anything. After all that they had been through… well, they had nerves of steel by now that's for sure.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked curiously, leaning against the counter in their newly bought house in Godric's Hollow. Which, incidentally, also happened to be right next to Harry's house.

Hermione was now also tapping her foot in a quick rhythm, and Ron swore he could almost see her sweating. Her mouth moved silently for a bit before she braced herself and blurted out what was troubling her.

"Ron, I'm… I'm pregnant."

Ron literally stopped breathing. He stared at her, shock and disbelief evident on his face; and then promptly blacked out.

Meanwhile, Hermione stood over the now unconscious body of her husband.

"I think that went well." She mused as she went to spread the good news.

As she arrived at the Potter house, she stepped over the unconscious body of Harry and proceeded to squeal with Ginny over giving birth together.


	32. Idioms

It was a normal day in the Gryffindor common room. Or, as normal as you could get with wizards. Around the room, there were people lounging around by the fireplace or playing Exploding Snap while in the background you could hear the twins off playing some prank or another. In a dark corner of the room, you could see the hunched back of Hermione Granger as she furiously penned down a 2 foot essay. Nearby, the lanky figure of Ron Weasley stood bugging her.

"Come _on, _Hermione, just tell me if this essay is okay." Ron said urgently said, poking her in the shoulder. "Come on, come on, _come on._"

The girl was almost screaming in frustration. "Fine!" she snapped, grabbing the paper. "Give it to me!"

Hermione took a deep breath and started reading the paper. She paused. "Ron," She said slowly. "This is an essay for Herbology, not Potions."

Ron's mouth dropped. "What?" he complained. "But I spent 2 hours on this stupid thing!"

The girl simply rolled her eyes. "Well, there's no crying over spilt milk."

Ron cocked his head to the side, puzzled. "But, I didn't spill any milk." He said.

"It's just a muggle saying." She said dismissively.

"Why would there be any spilt milk though?" he questioned. "And why in the world would I cry about it? I could just use Scourgify or something like that."

By now, she was gritting her teeth. "It's. Just. A. Saying."

Ron, wisely sensing not to bother her anymore, backed off to go find Harry.

* * *

The next day…

"Hey, Hermione! So, I was wondering about that milk thing…"

Two days later…

"I thought it sounded so _funny _you know?"

A week later…

"Do you have any more? Muggles can be so weird."

A month later…

"Hermione—"

"What?" She yelled in frustration. "If this is about the idiom _again_ then so help me, I will hex you right here!"

Ron backed away slightly. "Er, I was only going to ask if you wanted to come to Hagrid's hut with us. By the way, what's an idiom? Sure sounds like idiot to me."

Hermione took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. "An example of an idiom would be the milk thing I told you about a month ago." She heaved a deep sigh. "Let's just go to Hagrid's now, okay?"

Ron agreed, and they left through the Hall together. As he glanced over at her, he saw her writing quickly on a piece of scrap paper. It was only until they reached Hagrid's hut that she finished, shoving the paper into his hands. At his questioning look, she explained.

"So you won't bother me anymore."

Glancing down, he could see Hermione's normally neat writing cramped into the tiny space.

'_Idioms_

_Drive someone up a wall- annoy someone_

_Cock and Bull Story- unbelievable tale_

_Chow down- to eat_

_Feeding Frenzy- an aggressive attack on someone as a group_

_Dry run- rehearsal_

_Foam at the mouth- to be enraged and show it_

_Funny Farm- mental building_

_Get up on the wrong side of the bed- someone who's had a horrible day_

_Great minds think alike- intelligent people think like each other_

_Lost his head- angry and overcome with emotions_

_Hit the books- To study for a test_

_Piece of cake- something that's easy_

_NOW STOP BOTHERING ME! OR ELSE! _

_-Hermione'_

Ron grinned in glee. These sayings were so interesting. And it also solved the problem of getting his father something for his birthday too!

Later, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked back from their visit to Hagrid with their pockets significantly heavier than usual from his rock cakes, they encountered Draco and his posse in an abandoned hallway.

"Malfoy." Harry spat immediatly, scowling at him.

Ron glared angrily. "Yeah, what the hell do you want?"

Hermione also stepped forward menacingly, although it didn't work quite as well as she intended, seeing as she was the shortest out of their lot. "Move out of our way." She said.

Draco sneered at them. "Well, if it isn't Pot head, Weasel, and the Mudblood." He drawled.

Harry bristled angrily as Ron glanced down at his hand. "You're driving me up the wall, Malfoy."

...

...

...

The silence was almost tangible as everyone stared at him.

Ron continued, consulting the sheet of paper again. "I think you woke up on the _wrong side of the bed_. I can see you _foaming at the mouth_. You probably _lost your head_."

Hermione had unfrozen by now and was slamming her head against the wall. Repeatedly.

Harry just looked at bit amused while the Slytherins continued staring at him.

"I think you guys belong in the _Funny farm_." Ron stated, before sweeping past them. "Come on guys, let's go."

The three of them walked away with Hermione holding onto her sore head gingerly. Back at the hallway, it was a long time before any of the Slytherins moved.

Draco turned to Goyle and Crabbe in amazement.

"I think we've finally driven him to insanity."


	33. Brothers

**A/N: Written for the Fan Favorite September 2012 Awards. **

* * *

はじまる

いちー

Regulus was shivering in the fading light of the sky. Walburga stared straight ahead at the coffin, looking like she was actually interested in the death of her husband. She ignored her youngest son, who was freezing through the thin material of his black jacket. He was from a pure blooded family after all, and he needed to toughen up. She would not accept a pansy for a son! There were certain expectations that needed to be held up in the name of the Black family. And despite her older son's back talking, she had to admit that he had nerve at the very least.

The priest droned on and on, leaving Walburga wondering when the damned funeral would end. She was sick and tired of standing around listening to garbage. Then, she noticed a movement out of the corner of her eyes.

It was Sirius. He had taken off his already thin jacket and had laid it down over his brother's shoulders. She could see Regulus smile adoringly at his brother as he shuffled a bit closer. Her fingers twitched with the urge to rip the piece of cloth off and scream at them, but they were in public and her image was everything to her.

* * *

にー

It was Christmas morning.

"Control yourselves. Don't run around like a fool," she had commanded.

"Yes, mother." Regulus replied, giving her a polite smile.

So different from the beaming grin he would give Sirius after calmly uncovering his gift. It made his face look alive, bright and excited and all of the things he should _not _be.

* * *

さんー

Walburga lay quietly in her bed, not quite asleep. She could hear whimpers and soft cries coming from Regulus's room. A nightmare, most likely. Her ears perked up at the sound of a door clicking open, and the quiet pad of footsteps alerted her to the fact that Sirius was calmly walking down the hallway. The cries calmed almost immediately. The woman waited a moment before silently getting up and stood in the doorway of her youngest son's room. She was met with the sight of Regulus curled up in Sirius's lap, a content expression on his face. Sirius glanced up at her arrival, his gaze darkening.

_'Leave.'_

So for first and only time in her life, Walburga walked away.

* * *

しちー

Walburga felt an almost childlike glee when her son was sorted in Gryffindor. She could mold Regulus into anything she liked, now that he saw that his brother was a traitor. But it didn't work that way. For the first couple of months, he had wandered around like a lost puppy, never doing anything and defiantly not listening to her.

It was the first time she had hit her younger son.

* * *

ごー

She couldn't, would never be a mother. So what right did Sirius have to take her place?

おわり


	34. Snape's Nightmare

**A/N: Written for the Painfully Bad Challenge. Yes, this is purposefully meant to be OOC with a bit of crack! too. **

* * *

It all started on a snowy winter morning in Hogwarts. Severus had just woken up and was making his way to the Great Hall when, all of a sudden, he saw that idiot Longbottom stride confidently into his seat. He stared. It was unusual to see him with his face completely calm, not to mention he was smirking too. But Severus dismissed it moments later when the boy returned to his normal slouching, nervous form. He quickly glanced around the table. It seemed no one else had notice, although it was hard to tell if Dumbledore had.

Later, in Potions class it happened again. Harry Potter, _the _Harry Potter bolted straight out of his seat. All attention was immediately drawn to him, including Severus's. He stood there for a while, swaying from side to side.

"What is it Potter?" he spat. "I haven't got all day."

Quite frankly, he was unnerved by the dreamy smile on his face.

"Professor Snape~" he sang. By now, even his friends were gaping at him. "I _loovvee _you!" He then proceeded to throw himself at the shocked professor. Thankfully, he came to his senses before he collided with the boy and sent a binding spell at him. Harry didn't do anything but continue smiling that idiotic smile.

"Granger." He snapped anxiously. "Take him to the nurse's wing. And don't even think of stepping into the classroom until he's back to normal!"

The girl didn't even glare at him as she usually did, which just showed how surprised she was. White faced, Granger helped him to his feet and led him out. But then something happened. He escaped. Severus didn't even know how. In the span of a second, he had a lovesick Potter clinging to his arm happily.

He jerked and attempted to force the boy off. It worked for a while before Potter started running after him. The Gryffindor's all started laughing, thinking this was some joke, but Severus could see in the boy's eyes that he was completely serious, if not sane. In the end, it took a couple of hexes and a strengthened binding spell to get him knocked out.

"Class dismissed." He said, panting slightly. Who knew that boy was so strong?

"But professor!" Granger complained.

"Class. Is. Dismissed." He ground out before sweeping out of the room.

He sped walked through the halls and sought refuge in the staff room. Minerva was already there, along with Dumbledore, Filius, and Pomona.

The elderly witch raised an eyebrow at him. "You look like you've been through hell." She commented lightly.

It was true. His robes were rumpled and even torn in several places. The usual sneer was gone, a slight panicked look replacing it. His hair was mussed up completely.

Severus collapsed at the table. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you." He grumbled. The staff murmured a bit but decided not to comment on anything.

That was the beginning of everything. In the course of a couple weeks, a fairly normal Hogwarts year had turned into chaos. Severus now dreaded going to class.

As he entered the room, Potter's face lit up as he proceeded to do another flying leap at him. Severus ducked and hexed him several times with the weary ease of someone who had done the same thing a lot recently. Nearby, Weasley was berating Finnegan for not doing his homework, while Granger snored loudly on top of her desk top. And it wasn't just the Gryffindor's. The Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, and even the Ravenclaws were all acting… weird.

Draco sat primly at his desk, legs crossed daintily while he painted his nails. His _nails, _for Merlin's sake. Nearby Crabbe and Goyle pushed him from the desk, making him scowl lightly at them, and then ignore them in favour of starting his pedicure. At the back of the room, Millicent Bulstrode was preening in the attention of her peers with lipstick smeared on her lips. It was done terribly, making her look like an idiot but all the girls were staring at her adoringly.

It was a nightmare.

He rushed through his lesson, not that anyone listened except for Weasley, and desmissed the class early again. It was too much to deal with. He didn't think this even came with the teaching contract!

Severus fled into the staff room. It was his last safety haven through the mess inside Hogwarts. Inside, he could see Minerva with a bottle of firewhiskey in front of her with a shot glass next to it. As he watched from the doorway, she knocked the glass off the table and took a giant swig from the bottle. Slamming it down, she coarsely wiped her mouth. That was when she noticed him hovering by the doorway.

Her haggard eyes narrowed as she regarded him suspisciously. "Problem?" she snarled, her normally tight bun falling loose. Severus paled.

_Oh god it was spreading._

"No, no problem." He said quickly, speed walking out of the room.

No, there wasn't a problem at all. He was just going to calmly storm up to the Headmaster's office and demand either a raise or he would quit the job. On the way, he saw Potter again in the hallway (how on Earth did he keep tracking him like that?) and he fell into a full terrified sprint with the boy in chase yelling his name happily.

His decision was made in that instance. Quitting the job it was then.


	35. Invisible

**A/N: Written for the Free verse Challenge. My first ever free verse :) Enjoy!**

* * *

It was always the three of them.

.

.

.

.

_(always together, never apart)_

We fought, didn't we? We screamed and hexed and cursed. We loved and we lost. Some of us perished in this **ohsoterriblefight**. Yet-

It had always_always _been the three of them.

Just the three of them, never looking back.

_(What happened to together till the end? What happened to Dumbledore's Army?)_

_{they're such hypocrites}_

We trained and we learned _so much more _than we ever had. We were strong and mighty under their tutelage. We ran off to a rescue mission. We put our very lives on the line… all for them. And in that one exhilarating moment, we were one. We were a group, all for one and one for all.

.

But they never really saw us did they?

\eyes shifting, huddling closer, murmuring quietly\

.

.

We would have done it if they asked us to. We would've-

[died]

-for them

But it didn't matter. To them, we were-

_invisible._


	36. Mother's Day

**A/N: Written for the second round of the Fanfiction Triwizard Tournament.**

* * *

It was Mother's Day. Well, not the _real _Mother's Day, but the Weasley's always celebrated it sometime after Hogwarts, because they couldn't do it at school. When Hermione woke up that morning and walked downstairs in her pyjamas, she could instantly tell by the way Bill was cooking at the kitchen while Molly sat at the table looking relaxed and happy. It was the only day the twins behaved, to her knowledge. In fact, the two of them were currently sitting next to her, ready to cater to her needs at a moment's notice. Ron, as usual, was already stuffing food into his mouth while simultaneously handing her an enchanted card.

Hermione went and sat across from the red-headed woman. "Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Weasley."

The woman smiled at her kindly. "Thank you, dear." As she was lifting a piece of pancake into her mouth, she glanced at her youngest son and paused. Considered. And then a grin spread across her face. "How would you like to have afternoon tea with me later Hermione?" she asked, secretly rubbing her hands under the table.

Charlie, who was just coming up behind them, gave his mum an odd look before shrugging and settling down to eat.

Hermione looked surprised and a little touched. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley. I'd love to!"

After breakfast, Hermione rushed up to her shared room with Ginny and for the first few minutes, was frantically fixing up her hair. Then she stopped and stared at her reflection. _What _was she doing? She didn't need to impress Mrs. Weasley. She had seen her in her pyjamas for Merlin's sake!

'_Except for the fact that she's the mother of a certain red-headed boy.' _A voice said snidely in her head. She shoved it down viciously and walked downstairs.

She stood in the doorway of the kitchen hesitantly, wondering if she should come in.

"Mrs. Weasley?" she asked uncertainly. "Are you sure you don't want to have tea with your children? It _is _Mother's Day after all."

Molly simply beamed at her and waved her off. "Nonsense! I can see my boy's every day. Come, sit down."

Hermione softly smiled at the older woman and took a seat across from her. It was peaceful to sit by the window and a bit strange too. The Burrow was usually loud and chaotic, not quiet and passive.

"So, how was Hogwarts this year?" Molly asked.

Hermione paused, considering. "It was… hectic, to say the least." _That _was a huge understatement. With the basilisk and all the paralyzed people, the whole year had been wrought with panic and fear.

Hermione snapped out of her brief moment of thought and smiled sheepishly at Molly. The woman simply beamed back. They were having a very nice conversation until she asked The Question that Hermione dreaded.

"So dear, do you have anyone you like at Hogwarts?" Molly asked mischievously, leaning forward to whisper.

Hermione, shocked, was unable to hide the redness that spread across her face.

Molly grinned. "So you do then? Who is it?"

"I-I don't like anyone!" Hermione stuttered in embarrassment. She inwardly cursed her own body for reacting like that.

Thankfully, she was soon saved.

Light footsteps sounded as Ron Weasley came into the kitchen. "Hey mum, do we have any tape?" He asked, glanced down at Hermione, who refused to meet his gaze. As Molly went to rummage through the cubboards, Ron leaned down to eye level with the girl. Again, she reverted her gaze to the wall behind him. Just as he was going to sigh in exasperation and straighten up, Molly came up right behind him and _accidently _bumped into him.

Hermione's eyes flashed wide open in shock. Ron's equally surprised gaze met hers. Dimly, at the back of her mind, she registered that his lips were actually softer than they looked. Then, the moment was over and the two broke apart silently. Ron's face changed from astonished to furious as he saw the twins behind him, who had just happened to come in at that moment.

"Fred! George!" He roared in anger.

The twins gave their mum an amazed look. How did she do it? Was it just them or were all mother's slightly insane? She had timed the kiss so perfectly that when the two came in, Ron would blame them! It was… the work of a true prankster. Those were the thoughts that flashed in their minds for a split second before they were being chased by their murderous brother.

Left in the kitchen, Hermione touched her lips, which still burned pleasantly from where she had been kissed. Her first kiss… she smiled dazedly and floated up the stairs without another word.

Molly smiled happily. Her plan had worked perfectly!


	37. The Halloween Catastrophe

**A/N: Written the Halloween Competition. This actually turned out way longer and diferent than I thought it would be...**

* * *

I, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, had a feeling that something creepy was going to happen tonight. I know what you're thinking. The son of a former Death eater, a wizard who has seen things muggles would gape at, scared? The answer would be yeah, I am. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Why don't we start at the beginning?

It all began on a normal day at Hogwarts (those are the worst. Everything happens on normal days) when he had been doing homework with his two best friends in the library. Normally, they would've been in the Slytherin common room, but winter was approaching and the lighting was terrible in there. Rose, the ever studious one, had slipped into the muggle section for some light reading and had come back with a book on Muggle traditions.

She was flipping through the pages disinterestedly when she suddenly froze and called their names excitedly.

"Scorp! Al! Come over here." She grinned.

Albus, who had accidently knocked over his ink pot at her exclamation, cursed quietly before making his way over.

"What is it Rose?" I asked, impatient. "I'd love to get my Potions essay finished sometime this day."

Rolling her eyes at me, she shoved the book under my nose. My eyes quickly flickered across the words on the page. There wasn't anything important on it. As I voiced my thoughts, she shook her head and sighed at me in exasperation.

"Right here, look. 'Trick-or-treating is a very odd muggle pastime where they ask for treats from strangers. It only happens once a year, during Halloween.'"

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "So?"

"It sounds kind of interesting actually." Albus commented lightly. "I mean, free candy? Why not?"

I gave him my best betrayed look. "Albus!"

"Don't call me that!" he gave me an irritated look and a light shove.

"Get over it already." Rose sighed, waving him off. "Anyways, I was thinking we should go trick or treating on Halloween!"

I stared at her. For a brilliant witch, she sure could be dense sometimes. "Rosie, we're in Hogwarts. How are we supposed to do this?"

"We'll dress-up in costumes and knock on the doors of our housemates for treats." She decided.

"But wait," Albus butted in, "They won't have any candy."

We all fell into silence. Rose visibly deflated. And that was the end of everything.

.

.

.

Or, that's what I would like to say, but at that moment, James had overheard and immediately swung to our table.

"Fear not, little brother and minions," he said dramatically, "James is here to save the day!"

Albus slammed his head onto the table and groaned. "What do you want James?"

James grinned mischievously. "I can't do anything about that trick-or-treat hocus pocus you were talking about, but you've given me a great idea!"

"And what is that?" Rose asked warily.

"We should celebrate Halloween, the muggle way!" He said.

Albus and I glanced at each other in surprise.

"That's all?" I asked curiously. I had heard enough about his pranks from Albus and Rose to learn that they were never mild or tame.

"Yeah, that's all." He nodded. "And to celebrate Halloween the muggle way, we're all going to dress up in costumes!"

I shook my head. No one was going to do it, even if the most popular guy in the school said so.

How dearly wrong I was.

* * *

The morning of Halloween dawned bright and cold. As I sleepily stumbled out of bed and down to the Great Hall, I had to rub my eyes several times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Then I slapped my cheeks a bit to double check. Finally, pinching my arm convinced me.

This was reality.

Beside me, Rose and Albus also gaped at the Great Hall. There were the normal decorations such as a thousand floating candles, and huge pumpkins. What were unusual were the students, decked in all sorts of costumes.

Ghosts, vampires, pillows… there was even a pair of first years dressed up as tomatoes! Even the Slytherins, looking a bit sulky, had dressed up for the occasion. It seemed, in the middle of such oddness, that we were the only ones in plain robes. Up at the staff table, I could see Professor McGonagall rubbing her temples.

Looking around the room, I spotted Dominique walking briskly towards us in a pink fairy costume.

"You guys aren't in costume." She stated. We nodded.

"Well, this won't do." She sighed, wagging her finger at us. "You know Halloween in the day when the veil between the world of the dead and the living is the thinnest don't you? Without a costume, you'll be virtually unprotected!"

"Have you been talking to Fred and James again?" Albus asked suspiciously.

"Yes. Why?"

Rose groaned. "It's nothing." She gave us a _just-go-along-with-this-nonsense look_.

The girl hefted up the book she was carrying and flipped a couple of pages. "It says here to form a circle of salt to protect from zombies, witches, and old boyfriends." The girl grabbed a salt shaker and promptly made a circle, ordering us to stand inside.

"And then, we have to say a spell and then voila! Instant protection." Dominique said, chanting the word.

I shifted on my feet, bored. The last thing I expected was for the circle of salt to glow in shades of brilliant blue. I definitely didn't expect, once the light died down, to have what seemed like all of the girls in the Great Hall crowded around the three of us. There were also a couple of boys and a smattering of books on the outside of the ring that had formed.

"What is going on here?" Professor Sprout asked in alarm, getting up and hovering worriedly around the clump of people surrounding us.

But Rose, the cleverest out of all of us, quickly realized what was happening.

"Dominique!" she yelled furiously. "You reversed the spell! Now zombies, witches, and old boyfriends are attracted to us instead of us being protected from them!"

That explained the books. A nearby tome read _'Zombies: Tales of Inferi in the Muggle World'_.

Dominique looked fairly panicked by now. "I can't find anything to reverse the spell!" she called. "I'm really sorry guys!"

By now, McGonagall had arrived at the scene. I relayed what happened to her, struggling to raise my voice over the girls (and guys) that were screaming indignantly as they tried to move away from us. But it was no use. We were like magnets. No matter how far they got away, in the end they were only dragged back by an invisible force.

Beside me, Albus was muttering mutinously. "It must've been James. I knew he wouldn't settle for anything mild!"

I agreed wholeheartedly.

A couple of hours later, the chaos had mostly dispelled. The people surrounding us had slumped down in depression and class had been cancelled for the day. Dominique, feeling guilty for causing the mess, dutifully sat in the great hall with us. The Ravenclaws in the group wanted to go research the spell, but all of us, who numbered more than a hundred, couldn't possibly fit through the doorway. Not to mention we all had to walk together if we did that.

I was idly counting the candles in the room when Albus suddenly jerked up excitedly and asked for the book. Confused, his cousin gave it to him. He started flipping randomly until he got the page where the spell was.

"Guys," he said to Rose and me, "The spell became reversed when Dominique said it normally right?"

My eyes widened in realization. "Following that logic, it should be reversed if we say it backwards."

As we hurriedly got out our wands, Rose went to grab a salt shaker. At our questioning looks, she explained. "I think it makes sense to have the circle. I mean, it was what lit up when she said the spell right? It's possible the spell uses the salt as some sort of conductor, or multiplies its usage."

Quickly, by passing the salt shaker around the edge of their group, they managed to make a passable circle. Really, it looked more like an oval but _pfft,_ details.

Dominique scrambled up. Every looked towards her expectantly, awaiting their moment of freedom. She complied, chanting the spell backwards and immediately, the spell's hold was released.

As the three of us stretched after being forced to sit down for so long, we separated from the large group of students and conversed in a huddle.

"We're Slytherins." Albus said.

I agreed. "We're not going to let them get away with pranking us."

Rose's eyes glinted dangerously. "I already have an idea."

Not even an hour later, James and Fred were starting their months' worth of detentions and the incident was already beginning to be called _The Halloween Catastrophe_.


	38. 10 facts about Rose Weasley

**A/N: Written for the Those Weasley Girls... a Challenge.**

* * *

10 facts about Rose Weasley

1. Rose hated to study. She was smart, but wasn't naturally brilliant like her mother had been, so in order to keep up with the pressure of the Wizarding world, she had always read and studied day and night when she was younger. She was absolutely sick of it. She wished she could just not study and get spectacular marks like Scorp did, or had a love of reading like Al, but she didn't and had to struggle to keep up with them. So day after day, she cooped up in the library or her dorms doing the one thing she hated the most.

2. Rose was born in August. Some of her classmate thought it was weird for her to have the name of a flower, considering she was born late summer when they were all withering, but she had been told the story of her name many times over and loved it. Every night, her dad would come to kiss her goodnight and she would eagerly ask for the story of her name again. Chuckling, he would acquiesce to her request. _'One day, your mother and I were talking a walk in the park. You were about _this _big,' he said, gesturing to his stomach, 'And that was when we saw it. A single rose, in full bloom against the weather. It was beautiful and unique, and at that moment, we knew what your name would be.' Then her dad would smile down at her and ruffle he hair. 'And here you are, as beautiful and wonderful as the rose we saw that day.' _

3. She had once tried out for the Qudditch Team but didn't quite make it. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of her life. Even _Albus, _the bookworm in the family, played on the team and was pretty good at it too. Everyone else (but her) excelled at the Wizarding sport. Afterwards, when her friends tried comforting her, she brushed it off, saying she didn't want to be on the team and she needed to study and keep her grades up anyways. She was secretly really disappointed. It wasn't until later, when her mother confided that she sucked at the sport, that she felt a little bit better about it.

4. Rose was often found in an empty corridor talking to ghosts. They absolutely loved her, even more so than her teachers, because she always took a bit of time out of her busy schedule to chat with each one of them. She found they were great listeners. They didn't judge her for being the daughter of two of the Golden Trio and they generally were a happy lot. It was hard finding a true friend these days. She had her family, and Albus and Scorpius, but that was pretty much it. Anyone else held her up in this shining pedestal, or sneered at her because of her family's fame. Ghosts on the other hand were glad to talk with her and be helpful and kind.

5. She loved, loved, _loved _pumpkin pie. Rose didn't even know why herself. Maybe it was the odd mix of flavours, or the texture of the pie itself, but at every single holiday or family meeting, there would be hordes of pumpkin pie because they knew it was her favourite food. She could often be found with one in hand for a snack or even just because she had a sudden craving for it, which was often. You'd think she'd get tired of it, but Rose was certain she'd love pumpkin pie for the rest of her life.

6. She was a bit of a neat freak. Scratch that, she was completely OCD about her things. _No one _touched her precious belongings that were already in their proper place and got away with it. Her family had learned early on to _never enter her room _for fear of accidently moving her stuff and awakening her inner demon.

7. Rose's hair was always in a ponytail. Not an attractive, high ponytail either. No, it was a plain and drab low ponytail for the simple purpose of keeping her bushy hair away from her face. _'Why?' _the girls would ask, _'Your hair is beautiful. You should let it down more often. You'd get more guys that way.' _And she would simply respond with _'Why would I do that? And besides, leaving your hair down is over rated.' _Rose would then go away, leaving a group of exasperated and confused girls in her wake.

8. She loved the rain. There was something calming about the soft _pitter-patter _of the small droplets hitting the pavement that was nice. While her cousins were complaining of the weather, she would be dancing in the rain. She was glad when they finally joined her. It was so much more fun dancing around like an idiot when there were others looking equally as stupid.

9. Spring was Rose's favourite season. All the good things seemed to happen to her during those couple of months. She had gotten the little brother she'd always secretly wanted (even though she had complained) when she was two years old in the spring. When she was 14, her current boyfriend and long-time crush, had asked her out. And a bunch of other small, seemingly insignificant things had happened in between. That, and flowers (like roses) always started blooming around that time.

10. She took Arithmancy but found it boring and dropped out. All those equations and the boring, droning voice that could compete with Professor Binns were just so tedious. She was smart, not a genius, thank you very much.


	39. One Tiny Rumour

**A/N: Written for the Rumours Competition.**

* * *

Hermione sighed as she left the Potions test room with Harry and Ron.

"I think I failed that test."

Ron rolled his eyes at her. "You never fail anything Hermione. I don't see why you're worrying."

"I'm sure you got perfect as usual," Harry smiled at her.

Hermione simply sighed again.

Unbeknownst to them, Parvati had been passing by while they were speaking and only overheard a certain part of the conversation. She turned excited eyes to Lavender, who gaped back at her.

"Did you just hear that? Hermione failed a test!"

"It's impossible though," Lavender whispered back, "She never gets anything less than perfect."

"Yeah… but they just came back from Snape's room. He could've failed her!"

The two girls paused to contemplate the idea. Nodding at each other, they went their separate ways to spread the news.

It wasn't long before everyone in the school knew that Hermione had gotten zero on her last couple tests and was being kicked out of Hogwarts because of it.

* * *

Hermione stretched slightly as she entered her dorm room. Immediately, she was bombarded by a horde of teary girls, each one bearing gifts and cards.

"Even if you are an annoying know-it-all, I'll still miss you," Lavender said, sniffing. She shoved a box of Honeydukes in Hermione's arm and ran away crying

That seemed to prompt all the other girls into action as not moments later; she was being hugged by at least a dozen different arms.

"Yeah, I'll miss you!"

"Don't get into any trouble!"

"And don't you ever forget us too!" A sobbing girl cried.

Then as suddenly as the attack came, it was over, and the room was empty once again as they left the girl to pack alone.

A bemused and very confused Hermione shook her head and place the gifts in her trunk. She wondered what that was all about…


	40. First Meetings

**A/N: Written for the first challenge in the Miss Leaky Cauldron 2012 Challenge.**

* * *

"Hello," I said politely to the boy sitting in front of me. "My name is—"

"Rose Weasley. Yeah, I know." The boy narrowed his cool grey eyes at me. "You seem a bit spoiled."

Immediately, my temper sky-rocketed and my smile became considerably more strained.

"Better to be spoiled than to be rude." I snapped back, struggling to keep the irritation out of my voice.

In the silence that followed both of our statements, we regarded each other warily. Then, suddenly, he smiled slightly. It wasn't much… just the slightest curve on the tips of his mouth, but it gave his face a much younger look.

Slowly, he offered his hand to me. "Scorpius Malfoy," he introduced, although it wasn't necessary since his family was infamous through the Wizarding World.

In that moment, it occurred to me that he couldn't have possibly had a lot of friends growing up. I didn't either.

Smiling slightly back at him, I reached over to grasp his hand. His hand was warm in mine. The cold, defensive look on his face was gone, I had made a new friend, and I couldn't be happier.


	41. My Love

**A/N: Written for the Second Challenge of the Week for the Miss Leaky Cauldron Challenge. **

* * *

Honestly, the first time I met him on the Hogwarts Train, I thought he was nothing but an irritating toe-rag. He was rude, he was selfish, and he ignored others to the point where they just didn't talk to him anymore. But on that very same meeting, I also discovered a softer side to him. The side that society dictated that he couldn't have just because he was a _Malfoy_.

It really was that first meeting that started everything. We were tentative friends from that day on. He would sometimes hang out near me and my friends in the library, and we occasionally partnered up during assignments.

This strange sort of friendship/acquaintance continued until the day I saw him crying.

Honestly, I came upon him purely by accident. I had been heading down to the kitchens for a brief snack to tide me over when I heard a muffle cry coming from the direction of Myrtles Bathroom. At first, I thought it was just Myrtle making a fuss about nothing again, but then I realized the voice was too low for that. My curiosity overtaking me, I cautiously crept into the dark bathroom and called out a soft, "Hello?"

The soft crying immediately stopped and I cursed myself. Of _course _they would stop at the sound of my voice. Why else would they be in this dirty room if not for privacy? I briefly considered backing out and pretending I didn't see anything, but I was already here and running away wouldn't solve anything.

Determined now, I strode (as quietly as I could) to the stall where I heard a slight noise and pushed the door open. What I saw shocked me. The unmistakeable blonde hair and the tear streaks down his face did not match with the cold image that he had created for himself. He stared up me from the ground with bleak eyes, too tired to even put an emotionless expression on his face.

I quietly made my way into the cramped stall and sat down next to him.

"Do you want to talk?" I asked.

He didn't respond.

I didn't push him to talk. Instead, I reached out for his hand and sat with him until his tears had dried and he was stiff from sitting for so long.

Standing up, I realized that he was still holding my hand. He pulled me up and smiled a bit, that innocent, shy smile he had shown me on our first meeting. Then, he pulled his hand free and walked to the door.

"I'm here if you need me." I called to his fading back. I barely saw his small nod in return.

Smiling brightly to myself, I walked back to the dorms, snack forgotten in the wake of the event that had just occurred.

From there, our friendship had bloomed.

It wasn't an immediate thing, as most things are, but a gradual crescendo. It started simply, like walking with each other to class, discussing our favourite Quidditch teams, or comparing Chocolate Frog Cards. Suddenly, before I knew it, it was the end of the year and I probably knew more about Scorpius than anyone in the school. He knew all my fears and dreams as well.

As we settled comfortable into the same compartment, I saw Scorpius give me a worried expression.

"Are you sure you don't mind that you don't have any more friends beside me and your family?"

I blinked at him. Throughout the months that I was getting to know him, my other friends had continuously told me not to talk with him. After all, the Malfoy family was infamous and they didn't want to be seen with the 'wrong crowd'. My temper had ignited and we got into a huge argument. Even now, they were shunning me and gossiping about me behind my back. However, there were still some friends who stayed with me despite this, and they were the ones that matter the most.

I smiled at Scorpius and told him not to worry about it.

And the years slowly rolled by.

Very much like how our friendship began, our relationship developed slowly. It really was jumpstarted, though, when my cousin Albus tricked the two of us into going to the Yule Ball together. From that day on, I realized I had feelings for my best friend.

Scared at this revelation, I went to Al again for advice. Although he didn't seem like it, he was actually really observant. All the Potter siblings were, as a matter of fact but I didn't want to ask Lily, because she was a blabber-mouth and James would definitely tease me for a long time after. So, I confronted my cousin in the library, where he usually spent his time.

"What should I do?" I asked. I was secretly a bit disgusted at myself for being reduced to an irritating schoolgirl, but there was no way around it.

"What are you talking about?" He asked incredulously, "Everyone can feel the mush from the looks you exchange miles away."

With that, he returned to his book and left me to ponder my thoughts.

I decided to trust his words, and confessed the next day. It wasn't romantic at all.

"I like you." I said, in a no-nonsense kind of way.

Scorpius looked a bit startled. "What?"

"I said, I like you."

He mouth dropped open. Then gradually, he smiled, and then laughed. I grinned as well, because he had a way of doing that to me. It was the most beautiful sound I had heard.

I don't know how (probably the paintings) but the next day, it seemed everyone knew we were a couple. I ignored their whispers, revelling in the feeling of loving and being loved.

When we were alone, he would let down the rigid mask that was constantly on his face and allowed me to see the vulnerable side to him. He would smile, tease me, and laugh (Oh, how I loved that laugh). It was the secret part of him that I hoarded from the rest of the world.

There was just no getting around it. I was in love with Scorpius Malfoy, and forever would be.


	42. A Yellow Rose

_A/N: Written for the Yellow Rose Bowl - a friendship competition. Special thanks to C.S. Thompon who took the time to edit my work very thoroughly! :)_

* * *

She looked just a bit lonely the first time he saw her.

With her wild, blonde hair untamed (he thought it suited her) she seemed to almost float up to the Sorting Hat. Her whole being radiated a sense of calm. The whole Hall was hushed and all eyes were on her. The girl, Luna, turned to watch them and he thought that even in a room filled with people, she looked very ethereal silhouetted against the candlelight.

Then, the moment passed and soft whispers rose up again. Neville turned away, but her visage had burned itself into the back of his mind. He vaguely registered that she was sorted into Ravenclaw.

As she passed by their table, her gaze sought his and he shrunk back in fear. Because even though they were so radically different (_she drew attention, he shied away from it; she was brave, he was a coward_), he could see himself reflected in her. The haunted look in her eyes was one that he used to see every day in the mirror when he was always playing by himself. And that scared him, because he was too much of a wimp to be the friend she so desperately needed.

In the following years, he hardly saw her, bar the occasional glance in the hallways. Yet he could still hear the rude remarks that flew through the hallways about her, and he was sure that she could too. He wondered if she would break soon. Even the strongest people would snap under the pressure of being alone. He could still clearly remember the coldness that loneliness brought on, and his friends that saved him from it.

* * *

Neville sat quietly by the Lake, thinking quietly to himself. Although he was normally glad for the boisterous and warm atmosphere in the Gryffindor Common Room, there were times where he still needed to get away for a bit and spend some time alone. Thankfully, his friends seemed to understand that and left him alone when he shied away.

Resting his head on his knees, he peacefully watched the Giant Squid splashing around in the Lake. There was something oddly tranquil about its movements. He could sit here all day.

As his eyes drooped slightly, he caught sight of a dark blur at the other end of the water and jolted up. Neville squinted to see the figure better. It was strange to see someone here when there was a Quidditch Game going on, after all.

Getting up and stretching, Neville decided to make his way to the stranger. It wasn't that far away, and he had been sitting down for a while as well.

It wasn't until he was a couple feet away that he realized that the person was Luna, and she seemed to be dancing by herself. If you could call waving your hands above your head, as dancing. He slowed down his walk, wondering if he should brush past and pretend he hadn't seen her. She hadn't seemed to notice him yet, either. In another second, he dismissed the idea. He was too soft-hearted to do something so cruel.

So, fingers trembling, he stopped in front of her and said shakily, "Hi. Luna, right?"

She beamed at him, and pulled him into her dance.

* * *

Neville walked down the Hogwarts Train, looking for a free compartment, or one with his friends. He had been a little late in packing his things and was one of the last ones to enter the train. Most of the compartments were already full of chatting people.

Sighing, he peered into the window of the next one. To his surprise, it was nearly empty. Sliding open the door, he spotted Luna in the room.

So that was the reason no one was in here.

He cautiously nodded at her when she raised her head. She gave him a somewhat dazed smiled back.

He placed his bags in the rack above and awkwardly took his seat opposite her. Glancing out the window, Neville silently watched the passing scenery.

Halfway through the train ride, she spoke.

"So you like plants, Neville?"

He was startled at her words. Nobody, not even his grandmother, had asked about his love of plants.

Enthusiastically, he nodded.

Unfortunately, in his eagerness, he had partially stood up and hit his head on the rack. With a muffled cry, he cradled his head and slumped in his seat.

The sound of laughter reached his ears and he realized that she was laughing at him. But, it wasn't the cruel laugh of someone mocking him. It was the sound of someone laughing _with _him. Smiling sheepishly back at her, he waited until she calmed down.

They spent the rest of the time talking.

* * *

Neville glanced around the library nervously. Spotting Luna's figure at a nearby table, he quickly made his way over to her. She was quietly humming to herself, drawing strange looks from the people around her.

"Hey."

She nodded at him, and turned back to her book.

Neville frowned curiously. He had always prided himself on being an observant person (_a side result of always being in the background_) and he thought she seemed... a bit upset at the moment. He knew, more than anyone else, that Luna was just human. She had feelings and emotions like everyone else in the room. Not that it was noticeable. Her brow was just a bit more furrowed than usual, and her smile seemed a bit empty.

He sat down next to her and took out his potions homework.

Half an hour later, he was still staring down at his blank parchment. Stealing another anxious glance at the girl next to him, he finally dipped his quill into his ink bottle and quickly scribbled something down. It was something he always did when he was younger and feeling distraught; and he hoped to convey that feeling to her.

Nudging her shoulder, he pushed his parchment in her direction. She scanned the words.

'L_ovely_

U_nderappreciated_

N_ice_

A_stute'_

Her whole countenance brightened.

* * *

"Don't you ever feel lonely?" he asked one night at the top of the Astronomy Tower. The night was cold, and he shivered in his pyjamas. He had been sitting with her for the past hour because she claimed she wanted to see the stars.

Luna simply watched the sky next to him and didn't reply. The silence stretched between them. Neville waited patiently, knowing she was only formulating a reply. Finally, she spoke.

"A single rose can be my garden, a single friend my world," she quoted to him. He blinked at her.

She simply smiled and started talking in that cryptic way of hers, explaining nothing and everything at the same time.

"Quantity isn't everything in this world. A single person can matter more than a hundred people combined."

Neville hesitated at her words. He didn't quite understand what she was trying to tell him.

"Tell me, Neville," she said suddenly, "What do you think friendship is?"

He stared at her curiously. She glanced back at him, awaiting his answer.

"Um, well," he stammered slightly, "friendship is being there for another person."

Luna tilted her head and considered his answer.

"That's true, but more than anything… I think friendship is about believing."

"Believing?"

"Yes. To accept a person's faults, but believe that they can be something more."

"Do you believe in me?"

"I have always believed in you."

* * *

It was her twenty-second birthday and Luna was holding a private celebration at her house. As expected, everyone in Dumbledore's Army was invited, along with a select few individuals. She and her husband, Rolf, stood at the entrance to their house greeting everyone who came. All her gifts were stacked high on a circular table next to the married couple. Naturally, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had brought the biggest presents.

Neville arrived at the house empty-handed. Well, not quite empty-handed; he wanted to give her the present later. Luna smiled her usual serene smile while her husband raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Together, the three of them walked into the house.

Neville casually leaned against the countertop and observed the room. He spotted Luna first; her gait and hair were unmistakable, not to mention that she was the centre of attention as well. He smiled happily. Watching her surrounded by friends and companions made him glow with pride. He remembered the days when she was alone… always alone. She really had grown from the girl that she used to be.

Seeing a break in the crowd of people, he slipped through to her and gently tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"Neville," she turned to look him.

"Congratulations Luna," he grinned fondly down at her and she smiled back. They both knew he wasn't just talking about her birthday. "I'd like to give you your present now."

She nodded in acceptance and followed him unquestioningly to the garden.

They strolled through the grass in a comfortable silence. Soon, the happy noise of the party was faintly muted. Turning to face her, Neville handed her a single yellow rose. It was a bright color, almost the same shade of her hair and without the thorns removed.

She accepted it with a smile and placed the flower in the middle of the shrubbery. Neville didn't know what it was, but the whole place seemed that much brighter. And he thought, maybe, that he understood what she was trying to say on that day.

* * *

"Neville?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."


	43. A Precious Lesson

March 10, 1942

"What do you think you're doing?" An Auror gestured jerkily at the dead Death Eater lying brokenly on the ground and glared at Alastor. He stared dispassionately back.

At his lack of answer, the other man continued. "We were given orders to capture the enemy, Moody. Capture."

"Don't blame this on me. You should thank me for saving your life! That trash was aiming at you," He said cockily, his youthful mind not considering the consequences of speaking his thoughts out loud. "Besides, they don't show us any mercy, so why should I?"

The Auror stilled dangerously. "Why, you ask? Because it makes us no better than them, that's why!"

Alastor scoffed, and turned his back.

"Don't you walk away from me Moody! You think killing people is going to make others like you, but it doesn't… it just makes people dead!"

His words echoed uselessly off a fading back.

* * *

June 28, 2958

People were whispering about him. Some good, some bad, but most were just nasty rumours.

"I heard he goes into a frenzy whenever he sees a Death Eater."

"They say he's never brought one back alive…"

"How could they let a man like that in the Auror Department?! My children are unsafe!"

He ignored them, clenching his fists together.

* * *

October 16, 1979

This was it.

This was the end of his short life. He would never be seen again… never missed, or mourned, or grieved over. His parents were already gone, and he had made no friends in the wake of his successful career. Life would continue without him. Vaguely, he wondered if anyone would come to his funeral.

All of this flashed through his mind as he stared, frozen, at the end of a glowing green wand tip.

The Death Eater standing above him was masked. Probably a youth in his early twenties, judging by the thin structure and height.

Alastor tensed. Waited. Watched. His limbs were frozen from an unnoticed Stupefy spell, and he could do nothing but greet his death.

It seemed like an eternity to him before the Death Eater seemed to sigh. With a movement too quick for his eyes, he quickly disappeared into the foliage.

For a moment, he just stared, waiting for some other trick or surprise attack. None came. Shakily, he stood up and dusted himself off. Holding his wand out cautiously, he began walking back to the rendezvous point.

Alastor never told anyone about that meeting.

* * *

December 21, 1994

Alastor watched the new, to-be-trained Auror's with the eye of a hawk. They shivered nervously against his ominous appearance and sharp glare. There was only one girl, a short, pink-haired girl, that dared to smile cheerfully at him.

He hit her on the head with a spare newspaper that was lying around. The other Aurors flinched away.

She gaped at him, then turned her lips into a pout. "What did you do that for?"

He raised an eyebrow at her for daring to speak out against him. "Because your smile was annoying me. How do you expect to become an Auror like that?"

She opened her mouth indignantly before he cut her off again.

"You. What's your name?"

"Tonks."

He waited.

She sulked. "Nyphadora Tonks."

He nodded promptly. "Report to Training Station 7 at 6:00 tomorrow." He turned and started to walk away.

"W-wait!" She called, "Does that mean…"

"From now on, I will be your mentor."

The other instructors exchanged surprised looks. It was well known that Alastor had _never _taken on a student before.

* * *

December 22, 1994

"The first lesson," Alastor said, "is to never kill unless necessary. The human life has more value than you'll ever know."

Tonks titled her head, slightly confused, but let him continue.

"Do you understand? Unless you get this concept, I will not allow you to be my student."

She nodded eagerly.

* * *

July 27, 1997

Watching the green light come towards him, he wondered if this was predestined. But then the light reached him and all he knew was pure black, then pure white.

* * *

August 27, 1997

He was gone. Gone, gone, gone, forever. She would never hear that gruff voice again, or get that light smack on the top of her head. _Gone._

She would avenge him. She would kill as many Death Eaters as she could so he would feel at peace in the afterlife.

_Revenge._

* * *

May 2, 1998

It was absolute chaos. Hogwarts, the school that she loved so much, was being attacked by Death Eaters.

Tonks ran through the crowd, shooting spells at any mask she could spot, desperately trying to find her loved ones. In the panic, she could hardly see anything further than a few feet in front of her.

Suddenly, a Death Eater fell in front of her. _Lucius. _Eyes flashing angrily, she raised he wand, voice ready to voice an Unforgivable.

'_The human life has more value than you'll ever know.' _

His words echoing in her ears, she stopped short. With tremendous inner strength she didn't know she had, she threw a stunning spell and pivoted away.

She was his student after all.

* * *

A/N: So, how was it? I realize that Tonks is a bit OOC. Anyways, this was written for the first round of the Harry Potter Fanfiction - Writing World Cup 2013. I'm representing Canada.


	44. Apple

**Title: **Apple

**Character/s: **Lucy Weasley

**Warnings:** None

* * *

Lucy sat by the window, absentmindedly polishing an apple in her hand. Glancing down at the bright red of its skin, she was vividly reminded of her own Weasley red hair.

The apple was just like her, she thought, coming to a sudden realization.

The red, of course, indicated her family's signature hair color. The apple was firm and tough, but that was just to hide the sweetness inside of it. It was the same way that most people assumed her silence during a conversation was arrogance, when it was really only shyness. She and the fruit were one and the same.

Perhaps that was the reason she loved apples so much, yet never understood why.

"I am an apple," she said aloud, with a soft smile on her face.

Molly, who had been passing by at that exact moment, gave her an odd look and shook her head.


	45. The Incredibles

**Title: The Incredibles**

**Character/s: Mrs. Norris**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

It was currently summer vacation, and Mrs. Norris lazily swished her tail on her owner's bed. He was currently out somewhere, and she had nothing to do without any students to torment. Getting up, she stretched her back and proceeded out the door. Maybe she would find something interesting out in the non-magical world.

Slipping through secret doorways and passages only she knew about, Mrs. Norris was soon out on the street and curiously padding toward a large building with loud humans standing outside. A couple steps more and she glanced up to see a still image of five or so incredibly stupid looking people running away from something. Why were they smiling? How stupid. Who would laugh when being chased? The only one who should be happy is the predator.

In her derision, she heard the flapping sound too late and yowled in surprised as the image fell on top of her. Mrs. Norris jumped up in fury and gave the image a warning hiss before stalking away.

She would make it pay for injuring her holiness. The only person allowed to touch her was her owner.


	46. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

_For the Colours Competition and the Bingo Card Drabble Competition_

**Title: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake**

**Character/s: Rose Weasley, Hermione Weasley nee Granger, Ron Weasley**

**Warnings: Fluff straight ahead**

* * *

Rose Weasley stared intently at her father. He watched her silently from across the dinner table, and in between them, their breakfast lay forgotten.

"Daddy," she spoke slowly, breaking their deadlock, "I think you're feeling depressed."

He gasped at her dramatically. "No! How'd you find out my deepest secret?"

The young girl triumphantly waved her hand in the direction of her breakfast. "I ate the toast that you made, and your emotions just passed over me."

He shook his head in mock fear. "Now that it's come to this… I will never let you escape!"

Standing up quickly, he lunged around the kitchen table and swiftly grabbed Rose in the abdomen. Within seconds, the kitchen was filled her squealing laughter; his rich baritone accompanying her voice.

"Stop!" She half shrieked, half laughed. Her dad slowed his assault, and she immediately broke out of his grasp. Moving quickly, she sprinted into the hallway and crashed into her mother.

"Whoa there," She said in surprise. "What's the hurry?"

Seeing her father charging up to them, Rose jumped into her mother's arms. Not even a moment later, his arms wrapped around the both of them as he sang, "I caught you!"

They all burst into laughter, this time for no particular reason. Rose felt a warm feeling settle in her stomach and she said contently, "This is so much better than the family in The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake."

Her mother smiled down at her. "But it's still your favourite book, isn't it Rosie? Do you still want me to read it to you as a bedtime story again tonight?"

"Yes, please!" She agreed cheerfully.

With that, her mother set her down, and they all walked to the dining table together, holding hands.


	47. A Job Well Done

**Title: **A Job Well Done

**Character/s: **Vernon Dursley

**Warnings: **Slight bit of violence, nothing too bad

* * *

Satisfaction.

It was something Vernon Dursley had sought his entire life. The thrilling feeling he got when he knew he did the best he could, or, more often than not, took the quickest route to the most awarding situation. There was nothing he liked better than a job well done; whether it be beating a spineless wimp to the ground in his younger years, or harassing his employees like he was currently doing. The feeling of victory and success was empowering, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

His father had taught him to do a job right the first time, and he would follow that to the end. He gave the man on the ground one last kick, barely containing his shudder of ecstasy as the feeling coursed through his body once more.

He got a promotion the very next day.


	48. A Little Piece of Advice

**Title:** A Little Piece of Advice

**Character/s:** Harry, Albus, Ginny, Lily, James II

* * *

It was family night in the Potter household. Around the coffee table sat five figures, each taking turns asking questions to the others. It was something that Harry and Ginny had started as newly-weds, when they hadn't know that much about each other, and it had become a family game after a young James exclaimed that he wanted to join in as well. There was only one rule in the game, and that was that you had to answer truthfully.

Currently, it was the last question of the night, and Lily was up. She glanced at her father and said, "What was the best advice you've ever received?"

Harry frowned slightly in thought.

"I would have to say the best I've received was from your grandfather, Arthur," He said, smiling at the confused looks on his children's faces. "He said, 'Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.'"

Harry received three flat stares. He raised his hands in defense.

"What? It was a great piece of advice! It's helped me through some tough situations both in the past, and now."

"Sure, Dad," Albus said sarcastically. "We all know that you're totally not biased or anything because you like Grandpa the best."

The three of them got up go to bed, while Harry stared mournfully after them. "Why must they criticise me so much?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at her overdramatic husband.


	49. Don't Think

_Written for Camp Potter: Tech Discovery_

**Title: Don't think**

**Character/s: Lucy Weasley, Percy Weasley**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

Lucy had always been the quiet one. She had never really gotten along that well with her boisterous, loud cousins who insisted that attention be paid to them at all times, like James and Fred. She had never had the confidence to roll her eyes at them and retreat with her books, like Albus and Rose. She had never been adorable, friendly, and playful like Lily and Hugo. She was the only exception in her family. Not even the media paid much attention to her, something she was secretly jealous of, yet glad of at the same time.

It was something that she pondered while absently pushing her eggs around at the dinner table, and that thought made her very feel lonely.

Standing up, she asked to be excused from the dinner table, and headed up to her room. There, she sat blankly on her bed, wondering what to do. Normally, she would get out a book and maybe read for a couple hours, or do some writing, but her earlier thoughts kept coming back to her and she didn't want to do any activity that required her to be alone. But, she didn't have any friends out in the village, and her cousins were usually doing something or other at this time of day.

Lucy started tearing up. Would she be alone like this for the rest of her life?

She was so preoccupied by her thoughts that she didn't notice the knock at her door. She only registered the presence of another person at the slight creak and dip of her bed. Glancing up, she saw her father glancing down at her in concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked, gently smoothing her bangs back from her face, and grabbing a tissue.

His actions made Lucy tear up again, and despite it all, she found herself spilling out her thoughts to him. He listened quietly, eyes remaining on her for the entirety of the story.

"I just don't fit in, daddy!" she sighed, distraught.

He promptly flicked her in the forehead.

Lucy stared at him in shock. Her mouth moved soundlessly, unable to convey her feelings.

"You're just like me, you know," Her dad said conversationally, "You think too much. Sometimes, you've just got to think with your heart, instead of your brain. And then, I think, you'll see that you've always been a part of the family, and you always will."

"But—"

"No buts! Your daddy had to learn this the hard way, so don't do what I did. Now, are you going to come down, or be by yourself all day?"

Lucy scrunched her brow in thought. Then, hesitantly, she reached for her father's hand, and walked towards the door.

He smiled encouragingly at her. "There's a good girl. Don't forget, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

She nodded, determined to try her best.


	50. Maybe, Maybe not

_Written for Camp Potter: Arts and Crafts_

* * *

Alice Longbottom

So similar to

Alice in Wonderland,

that extraordinary broken place

Just like you are now

Blue eyes staring blankly

Your mind is long gone by now, isn't it?

But

Sometimes you feel

The wind in your hair

And you see

Bright blue eyes

**[so similar to your own]**

Peering down at you

_What the mind forgets, the body remembers_

And the mind remembers again,

For a brief moment

And those eyes are confused

"Can you hear me, Mum?"

Maybe, maybe not

Reaching out your hands

(why is this so hard)

You give the only thing you can give

It's a candy wrapper

He accepts with a smile

You struggle against yourself

_(No_

_I don't want to for—)_

.

..

.

The mind forgets again

Back to that blissful, broken world

Where there is nothing painful

And nothing can harm you


	51. How It All Began

_So, this was supposed to be for a challenge.. but then I took too long so... But I like the story (even if it's rushed, and too short) and I kind of consider it a preview for the story I was planning on writing about for the Founders. So, please enjoy!_

* * *

It all starts with a simple declaration one dreary, rainy afternoon.

The four friends are sitting in a joint house they purchased together, enjoying a quiet cup of tea with some delicious snacks that Helga had made, talking quietly amongst themselves. It's a peaceful day, and the rain taps rhythmically on the window panes.

Godric, who's on the verge of nodding off, jumps up as a sudden, brilliant idea crosses his mind. Immediately, all attention is pulled towards him.

"You know what?" He says, smiling at the rest of them in a way they've become painfully familiar with in these past few months. The other three are instantly awake, and wary. They know he's about to suggest something grand and ridiculous.

"I want to build a school for wizards and witches like us!"

The silence in the room is deafening.

This is the most ludicrous idea they've heard from him yet. Rowena is so shocked she doesn't even bother to reprimand him, like she always does. Helga adopts a look of bewilderment, as if she simply can't comprehend the idea. Salazar is just blank-faced.

Godric beams at them.

And, like nothing happened, the conversation in the room resumes.

"Hey, don't just ignore me!"

Salazar turns towards Godric, eyebrow raised. "Oh, you were being serious?"

"Of course I was!"

He fumes quietly to himself at not being taken seriously. Helga smiled sympathetically at him, her brain trying to imagine the thought of a Wizarding school.

Rowena sighs. "And just where were you planning to build a school? What about teachers? How are you going to prevent the Muggles from noticing? And have you even—"

"Well, I was hoping you guys would help with that." Godric cuts in, smiling hopefully at them.

Rowena's eyebrow twitches. "Don't just dump your problems on us!"

* * *

As it turns out, Rowena does most of the planning. From selecting the location, to plotting the school sizes, to sorting out the actual educational system and subjects.

It doesn't help that the other three are constantly asking her to add a little detail here, or another one there. It's never ending, and her temper is up in the air most of the time because of that.

"Hey, Rowena! Let's make a room that conforms to whatever you want it to be just by thinking!"

"Rowena, would it be possible to have a large kitchen? You see, I was thinking of enlisting the help of house-elves, and they could get paid!"

"I think it would be interesting to have a secret chamber underground."

Rowena is constantly changing things in her plans, and she wonders if they'll ever get the damned thing built.

* * *

They are halfway through construction when the animals start coming in.

First is the giant squid. Then comes the basilisk, which they scold Salazar for. Unicorns somehow creep into the giant forest by the edge of the school, and before they know it, they have a thriving creature population.

"This is great!" Godric grins, ecstatic. "This is even better than I imagined it would be!"

His mood dampens severely when grumpy centaurs move in as well.

* * *

It's finished. It's finally, _finally _finished. The accumulation of all their hard work and sweat and tears is standing tall and proud in front of them.

The only thing is…

"I'm sorry? Did you just call our school Hogwarts?"


	52. In Here

_Written for Camp Potter: Arts and Crafts, and the Snakes and Ladders Challenge_

* * *

Hush, hush, Dobby

Go to [sleep]

In here, there's **nothing** to hurt you

Nothing

At

All

.

..

.

"Harry Potter,"

You whispered

.

No, Dobby, it's time to go

It's time to let go

_You must be strong_

Like a m-i-r-r-o-r,

That reflects everything in its path

It's time

To

Go

Now

.

..

.

The last thing you see are emeralds

The first thing you see again is whiteness

.

Out here, in here

Here is everywhere, and nowhere at the same time

Here, you won't be in pain

Here, you don't have laughter

.

_Here, is just emptiness_


	53. For Everything You've Done

_Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competiton Round 1. Prompts used were: Fashion, "What on Earth are you doing?", Purple, Leaving, and Mirrors_

* * *

Harry glanced in the mirror, straightening out his clothes and attempting to make his hair lie flat. It didn't work. With an aggravated yet exasperated sigh, he decided it would just have to make do. Not that the person he was meeting would mind a single bit, but the media was still all over him even years after the war, and it just wouldn't do to look sloppy on camera. He had learnt a lot about media portrayal over the years, and had needed to adjust accordingly.

Ginny leaned out from the kitchen, where she had been making breakfast. She rolled her eyes at his choice of clothes.

"You're meeting with Luna, not going to work." She said, hands on her hips. He could barely hear her voice over the shrill screams of their children behind her. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Harry soundlessly mouthed an argument, but found he couldn't find a fault in his wife's logic. He mumbled something weakly under his breath.

Ginny nodded resolutely. "That's what I thought."

"But I don't want to change again…"

She rolled her eyes again at her husband's antics. Harry smiled at her, and shuffled over to give her a chaste kiss.

"Well, I'll be leaving now then."

Ginny sent him off with a wave of her hand. Harry shut the door with a click, and turned with a smile at the beautiful weather. A walk would do him good, he decided. The café he was meeting Luna at wasn't too far away, and it wasn't often he got moments to himself like this.

With a soft smile on his face, he started on his way, wondering gleefully what her reaction to the news would be. There weren't many things that would perturb the girl, and he was absolutely sure this would be one of them. He hoped she would be happy at the surprise.

He was still humming lightly as he entered the café. To his surprise, he spotted Luna right away by the windows. She was often later than the actual meeting time because she would get distracted by something or other. Making his way over, he glanced over what she was wearing with amusement. It would be rather hard _not _to spot her. She was wearing an odd purple shawl wrapped around her head, and was otherwise dressed in a blinding color of yellow. Harry shook his head in amusement as he approached her. Her fashion sense was still as wonky as usual.

Luna lifted her head to face him as he came closer. She gave him a serene smile, stirring her coffee with one hand, while the other cradled her face.

"Hello, Harry. How are you today?"

"Hello, Luna. I'm doing fine, thanks," he gestured to her head. "What on Earth are you doing?"

She blinked languidly at him. "Oh, this? You see, the Wrackspurts are all over the place around this time of the year. I thought that some head protection would be better than waving my hands around all the time."

Harry nodded at that, and sat down. Waving at a nearby waiter, he quickly ordered a latte and some cake before turning to face Luna. She was now sipping at her coffee, and watching him.

"So how are Rolf and the twins?" he asked.

"Oh, they're doing wonderfully. We plan on going on a trip soon to find the Crumple horned Snorkack, and everyone is excited to go." Luna smiled softly.

Harry gave her a small grin back. "I'm glad to hear that your family is going well."

He really _was_ happy that she had people to support her now. It was such a contrast from her Hogwarts years, where she'd been mostly alone and friendless, alienated in her own house. She was stronger than most people knew. Her strength laid in understanding and helping people, just as she had that day Sirius had died. He didn't think she knew how much he appreciated her for just being herself. All the more reason to give her the good news.

"So, how are Ginny and the kids?" Luna asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "She just gave birth didn't she?"

"Oh, yes. A girl, in fact. She looks just like Ginny you know? With red hair and brown eyes," Harry made no effort to hold back the smile on his lips. "We decided to name her Lily Luna Potter."

Luna stopped moving. Slowly, she lowered the cup from her lips. Her eyes had widened even more than they usually were. She blinked several times, and opened and closed her mouth soundlessly. With a jolt, he frantically realized that she was tearing up.

Harry froze, wondering what he should do. He had never seen Luna cry, and wasn't even good with crying girls in the first place. He raised his arms uncertainly.

But Luna was already regaining her composure. She wiped her tears off, and faced him with a beaming smile.

"_Thank you_."

Harry lowered his own arms, and returned the smile. "No, thank _you_. For everything you've done for me."

"I think you've done more for me than I have for you," she stated, with a nod of her head. "You were one of the few people to value my opinion, and one of my first true friends."

Harry lowered his head, embarrassed at her honest face and words.

"Um, so will you agree to be her Godmother? I couldn't think of anyone better than you. It'll really put me in a bind if you don't agree you know."

He gave her a hopeful smile. She laughed.

"Yes, of course I agree."

Harry leaned forward, face now serious. Luna blinked.

"Please help and guide her as much as you've helped me."

Luna smiled again.

"I will."


End file.
